It s true definition
by WilliamDeWitt
Summary: First: I swear that, unlike my other story, I will finish this one; Second: The main character os a bit OOC, so don t judge me! I thought he deserved a better destiny than the one given to him and so I decided to help him. Watch him find love in this story set throughout the events of the Beauty and the Beast story. Thank you and enjoy.
1. Happy Birthday!

_**Note: The story will take on my view of the events as canonical as possible. If anyone reading this detects a flaw that can be corrected, address me and I´ll see what I can do.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own FNAF or Beauty and the Beast**_

 **It´s True Definition**

 _He vaguely recalls having been told about death: What would be awaiting one´s arrival, the Purgatory, Hell and the Devil, Heaven and God. And many more times he had been reassured that the only place he would go would be Heaven. After all he wasn´t a bad person._

 _But he doesn´t feel like he´s in Heaven. Where´s the promised joy, the angels, the gardens, where´s everyone for the matter of fact?_

 _Could that be Hell? Then why was it so dark? Where were the mean people, the demons with giant forks, the hot cauldrons, the red colors, the Devil?_

 _Better yet: Where was the sky, the horizon, the life?_

 _There was only a spotlight, shinning light on his restrained form. Tears were rolling down his cheeks and he didn´t dare to move a muscle. He couldn´t see anything because of the darkness surrounding him and all he could feel was excruciating pain._

 _ **YoU ARe DISgustiNG!**_

 _All his being was hurt, from the tips of his toes to his head, especially his forehead. How he wished to let all the pain out with a scream but he wouldn´t, in fear that the pain would grow more instead of doing any good._

" _Why is this happening to me?", he thinks._

 _ **HaaaHAAAHa…**_

 _He searches beyond the darkness for anything that could provide answers yet the darkness did not wish to give them up. And since moving his head around increases the pain his body´s taking, he made no move to turn around._

 _Eventually he returned to his non-stop self-questioning of how he had got there, looking for clues in his memory. But he found only blank spaces in his mind: He had no name to call himself and no clue on how long he had been there or how he had gotten there._

 _ **NO one wILL MisS YOU!**_

 _He concentrated on examining the position of his body._

 _He was sitting on his knees, that were starting to hurt from being kneeled for seemingly long periods of time; his arms were stretched to his sides and restrained by the wrists with rusty chains; Also the right arm was broken and bruised while the left arm was unharmed; His ankles were restrained too by more rusty chains. The weirdest of it all was that he felt his forehead on fire even though there was no fire around. And it hurt like hell._

 _ **LeaVE aND nEVEr retURN**_

" _Someone help me…", he thought gritting his teeth and sobbing._

 _He continued like this for several amounts of uncertain and painful time that he used to gradually learn to ignore the sensation of being lonely and suffering. He closed his eyes for the hundredth time and begs one more time for salvation. And just like that a white light filled the space._

 _He opened his eyes in surprise and closed them in a second due to the bright light. When he felt the light dying he opened them again. His eyes widened instantaneously and his mouth opened in amazement as he stared at the beautiful woman making her way to him. Her blonde hair hovered around her being, her white eyes staring gently at him, her full lips in a smile, her golden and violet vests fluttering at the whim of a wind unknown to him._

 _She now stood a step away from him she crouched to better look at him. Her emanating golden light was slightly brighter under the beam of light but he didn´t mind. She passed her right hand by his left cheek and the pain and burning feelings fades away. With the same hand she reaches out to his right arm and with a touch she reattaches the bone in his arm. He winces._

 _-T-T-Thank you. – He murmurs grateful and weakly to the woman._

 _The woman´s warm smile turned into a sad one. She waved her left hand and the chains on his ankles and wrists unlocked themselves and dissolved._

 _She backed away to the darkness in order to give him some space as he felt the embrace of freedom, his hands grasping his legs and crying. He was finally free!_

 **Music: FNAF 4 Night 6 ending theme**

 _-You´re broken. – She said, her voice sounding soft and hurt and making echo._

 _He wouldn´t look up to her yet as he noticed shapes surging behind her through his eyes filled with water. Four grey shadowy figures stood in a line, eyeing him with stoic looks. One of the shadows, with a hook for a right hand, vanished in thin air, leaving three figures that, if they had noticed their companion leave, didn´t care._

 _-But we can still be your friends. – The woman said and her voice made echo once more._

 _Another shadow, with a beak for a mouth, faded from view in front of his eyes. Now torn between watching the shadows more closely and facing the lady, he chooses the latter option and gives her a confused look._

 _-Do you still believe that? – The woman asked him._

 _He nodded out of confusion and caught a glimpse of another shadow, with rabbit ears, disappearing too. It was only him, the shadow with a hat and a microphone in its right hand and the woman left. He was still crying, the woman was still observing him with pity and the shadow kept it´s stoic posture. The woman crouched again and put a glowing hand on his shoulder._

 _-I´m still here for you. – She reassured him._

 _In that moment he was touched. She was an angel sent from above certainly, who could´ve left him to rot but had decided against it, and better of all she promised she would be there for him. He was deeply touched by her choice to help him and he had to show her that. With no gifts for her, he settled with giving her a hug, though he couldn´t avoid sobbing. Over her shoulder, he watched as the last shadow turned to nothing. The woman made no move to return the hug and told him:_

 _-I promise I will put you back together._

 _And then the glow began to fade away and her form became less and less solid until she too left him all alone, hugging air. He dropped his arms to his side and the feeling of loneliness slammed in his mind again. He closed his eyes and when he opened them he sees nothing but darkness once more. Fearing the loneliness more than never, he cries until he passes out._

* * *

-…eur?

-… ake up, …ease.

He grumbles and shifts position in the chair where he sleeps, dropping a black book he had in his hands on the ground.

-Monsieur!

The man jumps in his chair and falls on the ground, his face right on top of the black book. Blinking his eyes, he rubs the eyelids and gets a hold of his surroundings. He quickly picked up the book and got up from the floor, cleaning the dirt off the book with the sleeve of his right arm. Once he found it clean enough, he went to a shelf in his left and placed the book in the same place he had found it.

The dream was the same one as the ones he has been having on all of his anniversaries. Countless times he had studied the dream, hoping to know what could provoke them, comparing the dream to core life moments of his life, yet no. It had never stopped.

-I´m so sorry, François. I guess I fell asleep again. – He apologizes to the old librarian with a small smile.

-Think nothing of it, Monsieur. After all, you have been working late in the tavern and I know that you are not one to fall asleep out of boredom. But you must leave so that I may close the book shop. – The old man asks him, closing a curtain in the window.

Nodding, the man makes his way to the door and waits there for the owner. He taps his left foot while doing so, watching the owner cataloging the day´s visits and the books that had been ordered and returned. He chuckles at the fact that he knew exactly who had ordered the majority of the said books.

-Say, has she read _**Les Liaisons Dangereuses**_? – He questioned the owner.

-I´m afraid I don´t have that book at my disposal, Monsieur. – The owner replied not looking at him. – Who is the author?

- _ **Pierre Choderlos de Laclos**_ , if my memory serves me right. – He answered after thinking about the book.

-Oh. I`ll see if I can find the book. – The owner smiled him. – And also, remember when you asked me for **Gulliver´s Travels** last week. – His favorite customer nodded. – Well…

The owner ducked under the table and reemerged with a book with a green cover that read **Gulliver´s Travels**.

-Happy anniversary! – The owner exclaimed.

He couldn´t believe his eyes. The book he had been searching for over the past week had turned up. And as a birthday present! He happily jumps to the owner and takes the book from his hands. He feels the hard cover of the book on his hands and opens the book on the first page. The pages were soft to the touch as he turned page after page. He savored the delight until he closes the book with a grin so wide it threatened to split his face in two.

\- Thank you so much for the gift! – He said as he gave a bone-breaking hug to the owner. The latter pats him on the back.

\- Now, my boy, it´s not every day you turn 23. You, above everyone, deserve a good and special life. – The owner tells him.

\- Or maybe you are too generous to me. And for the hundredth, you can call me by my name, not "Monsieur" or any other things. – He reminds the owner shaking his head exasperated.

\- Alright then, **Paul**. Well now I really have to close the store. Come again tomorrow!

Paul left the store the minute he was told this. He pulled open the small wooden door and travelled through the almost deserted streets while reading his new book. The few people on the street at that end of the afternoon passed by Paul and gave him censoring looks.

\- Look at him, wasting his time reading books. – A middle-aged man in brown clothes confided with his wife. He was shushed by the wife and they moved on.

\- That man might be worst than Belle. – The baker whispers to himself as he watched Paul ducking under a wood board carried by a muscular fellow and jumping and sidestepping some children playing pirates with sticks. All that without removing his eyes from the book. – They should get married. God, what am I saying?!

Up ahead, Paul walked by two couples who were standing outside of a hat shop owned by a man named Chaplau. The discussion issued between them, about the gossips of the marriage of the local florist with a German shoemaker, was put to a halt as Paul passed by them.

-There he goes again. – Comments one of the husbands, putting a hand to his bald head and rubbing it in exaggeration.

-There he goes indeed Achille. Such a young man already corrupted by books. Just like Belle. – His wife, with black-going-grey hair and brown eyes, agreed with sigh. – Imagine if he was a woman!

\- Oh Camille don´t say such things. – The wife of the other couple protests, with her hands on her hips. - Although when you think about it, it would be like watching Belle´s sister. The village doesn´t need another woman like her.

\- But Marie, he could turn out like her father. I heard he is beginning to take lessons with that lunatic. – Marie´s husband, the highly respected merchant Absolon, tells her.

They all gasp at the sentence and it`s meaning if correct.

Paul, unlike his best friend, didn´t possess the ability of playing a deaf hear at the comments about her friend´s family and himself. So he stops, closes the book loudly and heads to the chatting group. His presence frightens the group, making them shut up and stand nervous.

-With all due respect, _madames_ and _monsieurs_ , you are so utterly incompetent that you can´t even control what you say. So why bother in commenting other people´s flaws when you should fix your own? – He asks them with a calm but bitter tone.

-Monsieur **Roy-Palomer** , how dare you speak like that to us! – Achille exclaims approaching the young man.

\- I dare yes because while Belle had the time to grow accustomed to your comments I did not. They helped me when I arrived here 20 years ago and when no one else would. They helped me get a house, a job and most important of all a family. So YES I dare to stand up to them and YES I dare to call you incompetent. – Paul counters calmly, although he`d prefer to shout it at them.

-"When you arrived here 20 years ago"? What is that nonsense now? – Marie asks intrigued.

\- You are all idiots, so why waste my breath with you? I bid you a good night.

With no more intention to hear any more of their complaints, Paul turned around and walked away, leaving two couples with their jaws hanging and embarrassed of themselves. Paul resumes his walk, this time without reading the book and holding it in his hand, preferring to calm himself over getting into the story. Seeing the moon beginning to show up in the sky, he runs to the tavern to begin his shift.

The large town´s tavern had the fireplace lit on by the time Paul entered through the back door that leads to the tavern´s storage. Passing through shelves full of bottles of whiskey, wine and several varieties of treats, he enters another area of the tavern that serves as a kitchen with a stone stove and various tables to cut and cook the requested meals. In there he finds the bartender too, a man with short brown hair with a bald, of a thin figure much like Paul´s, and using black and blue streaky pants and white shirt under his dirty apron, polishing his metal beer cups with a concentrated look.

-Monsieur Gerárd, I´m here to do my shift. – He announces to the bartender.

Gerárd lifted his eyes of his task and smiles at Paul.

-Have you forgotten what day is today, Paul? – He asks.

-Hum… 24th of November? Today we began to prepare for the upcoming party and in two days there´s that science festi… - Paul answers.

He narrowly avoids the bartender`s cob.

-No you silly weasel! Today is your birthday! – He barks with a bigger smile. – How come you can´t put two and two together?

-Ah, birthdays. I´ve learned not to mind that event as much as I did as a child. – Paul waves the fact off.

-My dear boy, you have to treasure every special day of your life, even if you think it means nothing to you. – Monsieur Gerárd slaps Paul´s left arm and Paul rubs it. - And my gift to you is today you can celebrate your anniversary in here. So no shift and free beer to you.

-I don´t need that, I´m fine. – Paul declines politely.

-Nananana, no excuses. Get in there and drink all the beer you want with us!

With this, the bartender gets behind Paul and pushes him to where all the action was.

-EVERYONE LISTEN UP! – The bartender shouted to the whole crowd gathered, drinking and playing cards. Paul recognized some people, like Gaston´s tall and muscular figure, his little sidekick Lefou and the whole society of the town´s lumberjacks. – GUESS WHAT?

\- Paul´s giving free beer on the house? – Lefou attempts to guess.

\- No, you dimwit. – Gaston says, slapping Lefou´s neck. – Today is his anniversary.

-INDEED! SO WHADDYA SAY WE GIVE HIM A PROPER PARTY?

The crowd agrees with a single shout of approval.

Paul curses to himself.

* * *

After many hours of drinking with every man in the village, avoiding Gaston´s questions about Belle and playing darts miserably, a drunken Paul wanders the streets, mumbling incoherent words. Luckily most of the town´s people had retired home; otherwise he would have been shouted at and thrown with whatever was at hand´s disposal. Tripping on his own steps, he curses loudly to everyone at the tavern for leaving him in that state. He had wanted to spend his anniversary in a calm way, not with excitement and with a big party.

It took only 2 cups of beer for him to get drunk. And he didn´t even drink beer!

That way of spending his birthday started when he turned 15 and realized that it was another day like another regular one. No thrill or excitement filled him ever since. Maurice found it odd as well as Belle. That gives Paul an idea.

Even drunk, Paul knows he couldn´t get to his house in the North of the town, but he knew who would be willing to take him in. They always stayed up late so he´d be welcome there. Crossing/tripping his way across a small stone bridge, he goes up a small hill where a house with a water mill lets smoke leave to the outside through a chimney. He trips on a log while going up, causing him to fall with a grunt.

Paul spits grass out of his mouth angrily and puts his hands in his head, massaging it. He places the hands on his sides and lifts his upper half of the body to get up. That´s when he notices it: black feet were in front of him, where before he saw nothing but grass, of such a dark color it hurt his eyes and with chunks of flesh missing. He slowly looks up to see withered black legs, a withered black torso with a bowtie, withered black arms with enormous big paws with sharp pointy fingers and then the head.

The square black head of what looks like a rabbit with whiskers, a mouth full of sharp white teeth, and eyes encased in metal circles with white and blue irises.

The vision sent a shiver down Paul´s spine as he stared at the creature and it stared at him. They remain still, not averting each others` gazes in complete perplexity until…

 _SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeee!_

Paul screams and pushes himself back with his hands in terror and surprise as the creature launched a high-pitched scream that rings in his hears. Paul rolls down the hill and halts when the back of his head hits the stone bridge. His vision becomes a blur, his ears register static and his conscience starts to fade away. In the meantime the creature walked down the hill with it´s arms extended towards Paul and it´s head twitching to several sides and angles that no human or animal head could possibly reach. A background dark mumbling came from it´s open mouth. Paul tries to stay awake, enough to face his attacker, but is failing as the world around him darkens.

" _Someone… help…"_

And the world goes dark.

* * *

 **Music: FNAF 3 Bad Ending Theme;**

 _Music is played. The walls are grey and the ceiling is red. He is up on a stage like the ones you see in a theater play._

 _He´s staring at two animatronics, or whatever their names are. They say they can talk and walk like we can and they give you cake and birthday parties and sing your favorite songs. But to him, they are scary. Especially the bear._

 _The bunny is okay he supposes. Maybe because he is funny with his gold colors and goofy smile and his walking actions. He walks like he´s slipping in a banana peel! But the bear is… the purple hat and bowtie give him an air of ridiculousness, but he is way higher than the Bugs Bunny(who is he?) and that makes him look mean. Also his mouth opens and closes so strongly when he sings it could crush a peanut or his own microphone._

 _-Come now, there´s not need to be afraid. – A man´s voice says behind him._

 _He then realizes how little he feels. He has to look up to stare at the bear and he stands at about the height of the animatronic´s legs. Before he knows it, he is grabbed by his armpits, lifted up and sat on someone´s shoulders. He can now look at the bear´s blue eyes._

 _-See, son? Even Fredbear is happy to see you. – The man says._

 _Paul holds his breath. Was that his father?_

 **Audio File: Nightmare Fredbear´s laughter (FNAF wiki – Nightmare Fredbear character page)**

 _The music stops playing and the bear or Fredbear laughs. But Paul cringles when he hears it. It sounded like a demon laughing._

 _At the same time Fredbear begins to change: bits of his tough yellow skin decay, crumble and fall off; his belly cracks in a horizontal line and sharp teeth emerge from the upper and lower sides of the line; It´s fingers`skin falls off and exposes pointy sharp metal fingers that could scratch you and leave a wound open forever; In it´s mouth gigantic sharp teeth come out too; and the eyes turn devilish, blood-thirsty red;_

 _Fredbear stops laughing and his eyes lock with Paul´s scared ones._

 _Then his arms go up and snatch Paul from his father´s shoulders. He roars at Paul and proceeds to bite his head._

* * *

-AAAAHHH!

Paul wakes up in a bed inside a room he identifies as Maurice´s, on the second floor of the cottage. His panting decreases as he catches up to his breathand calms down. The sun enters the entire room and forces Paul to close his eyes due to the sensibility caused by the hangover. Accompanying this was the strongest headache he had ever felt in his life.

To avoid dirtying Maurice´s sheets, he gets out of the bed and makes his way to a desk near a fireplace to take the toweland clean his face. In a mirror hanging in the wall in front of him he takes a look at his face: His shoulder-length brown hair is a mess that a comb could amend; his blue eyes are bloodshot and narrowed enough to not allow most of the light to reach them; His cheeks are still with a tone of pink and his mouth´s dry.

Paul tried hard to remember what happened at the tavern but all he could remember was Monsieur Gerárd making his birthday public to the whole village. After that all was blank. All except for that strange occasion on the way to Belle and Maurice´s cottage. That dark shadow of a bipedal screeching rabbit was imprinted in his memory like glue.

" _An illusion obviously_ ", he deems the encounter.

His stomach kicked in urgent need and Paul takes his left hand to his mouth to keep it from opening. Pushing the window to let the air flow to the room he bends over the window and vomits for a long doesn´t care if his eyes are sensible to the light or that most of the town is watching him right now, he cares only to get over the damn hangover.

-Oh my god! – An exclamation comes from behind him.

He clings to his head to unsuccessfully suppress the headache. He resumes his straight form and turns around to face a woman with a hand covering her face, wearing a blue dress and a white apron. She has brown hair just like Paul, tied in a ponytail with a blue ribbon.

-`Morning Belle. – He greets, relieved to see a friend.

\- Good morning Paul. Please could you put something on? – She greeted him.

Paul "hums" in confusion before looking at his figure and realizing he was naked to his last fiber. Getting red, he ends up asking for his clothes and Belle points to the wardrobe in the room. In less than 5 minutes he looked presentable to Belle. He had put on his black leather pants, his black shoes with a belt,his favorite red shirt buttoned to his penultimate slit with his back waistcoat and tied his hair in a ponytail with a red elastic.

-Better? – He asks rotating to his sides to get a better look at himself.

-Much. – Belle said while removing her hand and observing him. – Still look fancy in your clothes I see.

-You know me Belle, old habits die hard. So… - he trails off embarrassed.

-There´s no need to apologize, I already heard of what happened at the tavern. It was lucky you had enough will to leave the place. Besides you are and will always be welcome here. – Belle dismisses the apology with a smile.

\- You´re too sweet to me Belle. – Paul smiles.

-And you completely crashed the party, you know?

-What party?

-Well, I had planned to throw you a surprise party because I knew you´d stop by to say hello. But then I heard you scream and came rushing to find you by the bridge. You hit your head pretty hard there. – Belle explains checking Paul´s injury.

-Where would I be without you? – Paul sighs. – And Maurice?

-He left for the Science Fair. He was so upset for not being able to celebrate your birthday with you.

-If he did, he´d lose the opportunity to show his new invention. The lumberjacks benefit from his creation, even if it´ll cause some unemployment. Maurice deserves the best. – Paul smiles. - Oh, did I have a book named **Gulliver´s Travels** with me?

-No, you had nothing with you. – Belle says.

Paul curses with the least heavy expression he thinks of and tried to get out of the room but turning to a direction with exposed light makes him back away.

-Damn, I had that book with me on the tavern. Monsieur François had given me that book. – Paul tells Belle.

-I´ll go get it myself. Speaking of books… - Belle goes outside and comes back some seconds later with a pocket book.

Paul takes the pocket book in his hands and opens it to see what it is.

-How did you…? – He inquires incredulously.

-You have never been good at keeping your things and your notebook is no exception. I went to your house and searched for it. Papa told me you would run out of pages to write on soon, so I thought you had to pass your time with something. – Belle sat at his side on Maurice´s bed.

Paul felt like it was routine, but he gives her a hug of appreciation anyways, which she returns.

-And happy late birthday. – She adds.

Paul would never trade his life for those moments with his best friend.

He lets her go and she heads to leave the room with a final goodbye. Paul opens the book and decides to add another note to it. He goes through his vests to find his trustworthy and forever-present pencil and takes it out of his pocket. But he stops when he is going to write about his anniversary to meditate about what the bartender had told him the previous night:

" _My dear boy, you have to treasure every special day of your life, even if you think it means nothing to you."_

He uses his mouth to hold his pencil and goes back to the first page of his notebook. Maybe, just maybe, he needed to feel nostalgic for that to happen. Like he had expected, his notes had been glued to the book by Belle. He finds his very first note and reads his somewhat distorted handwriting.

 _ **12**_ _ **th**_ _ **of January, 1774**_

 _My name is Paul Roy-Palomer I´m 7 years old. I like cake and books and living adventures with my sister, Belle. Well, my little sister is just 2 years old and the only things she can do are giggle and cry and smell bad. I live with my father, Maurice, an inventor in a cottage separated to the village by a bridge. I never knew my mother because when Belle was born, she grew ill and died. We visit her grave on all of her birthdays and lay roses and violets on her grave. Father says she always liked the roses._

 _This notebook was given to me as a present yesterday by him. He says that a man with an imagination like mine should always write down their ideas. I thank Monsieur François, the book shop owner for giving it to me. He and Father are friends and when I was 5, Belle and I stayed with him at the shop and he read us stories from his books. Belle slept mid-story everytime but I couldn´t fall asleep with the story unveiling inside my mind:_

 _Histories of pirates looting His Majesty´s ship convoys, with a hook for their right hands and the intelligence of a band of foxes; or of the knight in shining armor slaying the dragons or fighting the evil wizard and marrying the king´s princess. Those are my favorite._

 _I´ve decided that I want to become a writer when I grow up. Then I can tell my own story to the village and my sister when she grows up. My father is pleased with the idea and supports it, giving me ideas for them while he constructs another invention (that ends up exploding again if I can add)._

 _And I think that´s it for now. I´ll write something tomorrow._

Paul had forgotten what he felt when Maurice had bought the notebook to him. He may have thought it first as a girl´s thing because only they write diaries (explaining the verbal beat-down at the hands of Belle many years later) or excited for having something to write down his mind´s fruits. Scrambling through dozens of more notes left over the course of 5 more years, in which one by one the handwriting had been perfected, he spots a particular note and read it:

 _ **9**_ _ **th**_ _ **of August, 1779**_

 _I can´t believe what_ _Father_ _Maurice told me. I had arrived home and right after Belle came to give me a hug Maurice called me to the kitchen. He was nervous about what he was going to tell me and he played with his fingers constantly. I asked him if he was alright and he told me he wasn´t and that he had to confess a truth he had kept from me about my birth. He closed the door so Belle wouldn´t hear our conversation and sat in the same chair as before._

 _And then he goes on to tell about how he was riding Phillippe, his horse, one morning and when he had passed an oak with tendril-like branches he had heard crying. He had dismounted Phillippe and penetrated a forest of similar oaks until he had arrived in a clearing. In it´s middle had been a crib. When he took a closer to it, he had discovered a crying baby, wrapped in violet and golden cloth, with a note on him. He had refused to leave the baby alone in the forest so he had taken him home._

 _This had been back when Belle´s mother was alive and she had agreed to take care of the baby when Maurice explained it all to her. As she tended me, Maurice went to town to ask the people if they weren´t missing a baby or knew about a baby in the forest. No one did. He was new in town, without the crazy name in him, and Maurice came home that day with his initial hopes faded._

 _They discussed the situation and came to agree in taking care of the baby as they had wanted a son for a long time. This was the end of the story and when he ended it I asked him if I was that baby. He had nodded weakly and left momentarily to come back with a crib with old violet and gold cloth and still in it an old paper with the words "_ _ **Take care of Paul Roy-Palomer, please. He is meant to do great things**_ _"._

 _Many things happened at that moment: Lightning echoed outside of the house, illuminating the town, the trees and the shadow of a thin man; I cried, opened the kitchen door and ran to my room; and Maurice caught Belle by the door and with a look similar to mine. As I cried in my room, I could hear Belle sobbing and asking Maurice if all she had heard was true._

 _It´s been some time after that now, and while I write this note I wonder why my parents abandoned me. I have to find them. But how?_

Paul inhaled to his fullest and let a loud sigh escape his mouth. He had forgotten all those details about that day but thanks to this refreshment, a flow of memories danced around his brain.

Paul had needed time to compose himself after the revelation and even when he came out of his room, he had found it difficult to talk to any of them. Belle seemed sad for him and angry with Maurice for keeping that truth from her. Maurice had tried to talk to him after that but Paul had turned him down and Maurice had respected that. One day, Paul was cooking with Maurice and the older man had asked Paul what he thought of him and Belle. He had the answer in the tip of his tongue: that they had been, were and would be his family.

Maurice asked him if that was enough for him to forgive his mistrust in his abilities to accept the truth, to which Paul had told him he had forgiven him since the day he found out. They had embraced each other and the event promptly tossed into the garbage.

A smile formed very slowly in Paul´s face. The next notes weren´t as interesting as the previous two. His meeting with Gaston, their heated arguments because of Paul´s beautiful sister (the family never told anyone the truth), Belle acceptance of having a pseudo-brother, her interest in books growing so much that made Paul deem her a bookworm, the festivals and parties that the town organized etc…

In the end Paul decides to delay his new note to sometime later and closed the pocket book, putting it in his pocket. Also thinking he was exaggerating the family´s hospitality he gets ready to leave. Yet in his way stood a man, with his features obscured by the thick blackness around him, making only the white pupils visible.

The shadow glares at the horrified Paul while leaning against the door and chuckles.

- **Oh boy and Ah thought ye couldn´t be any more of a pussy cat.** – He chastised.

-You talk? Who are you? – Paul yells backing against the wall facing the window.

- **Na,na,na,na, don´t go away**. **Ah haven´t even gotten to the "beat some sense outta ya" part.** – The shadow begged him with sarcasm. – **As for what I am, Ah´m that little tiny voice that demands what you truly are to come out. I was FAMOUS, I was CONTENT, I had brought down th- *cough*,*cough*,*cough*-gimme a sec.**

It walked inside the room and took some moments to look at the room, ignoring Paul´s fast breaths.

- **What am I doin` here, fer fuck´s sake? Why this retarded town in the past? WHY? –** The last question was meant for Paul and as he noticed that, he closed his eyes and muttered:

-It´s the hangover kicking in, it´s the hangover kicking in, it´s the ha…

CRACK!

Paul clutches his broken nose and moans in pain. Blood drops in his palms and runs down his arm in small streams. He looks incredulously to the shadow, who is rubbing his right hand closed in a fist with a white grin.

- **Man that felt good. Released some of the steam of my system, lad.** **–** It says happily. – **Now to business.**

Paul was freaking out at that moment. The shadow was real, it spoke, it punched and it was scarier by the second. Paul attempted to deliver a clumsy right hook to the shadow only to see it dodged by the latter and getting a knee in his stomach, making him fall and bend over.

- **C´mon now mate, ya really wanna keep gettin` hurt? Let´s talk.** – The shadow proposes by extended a hand to Paul, who stared at it and didn´t take it.

- **Have it yer way then. SO! Where do we begin? –** The shadow paces around the room, messing with the objects in it.

-Paul? Is everything alright? – Belle´s voice comes followed by the stairs creaking. Seconds later Belle comes in the room again.

- **My, my, who´s this nice slice a` prettiness?** – The shadow says sadistically and licking his lips.

Paul went behind the shadowand smiled at Belle.

-Paul, what happened to your nose! – Belle exclaims.

- **I´m innocent, Judge. I didn´t mean it I swear it! -** The shadow walks through Paul and drops on his knees at her left side, faking crying. Belle approaches Paul, ignoring the shadow, examines his nose carefully and leaves the room to get something.

The shadow rose from his knees and laughed so loud that Paul covered his ears to avoid getting deaf. The laughter was high-pitched and distorted, insane even.

- **So much for the cleverest girl in town. Well Ah don´t care, all I want is her bein` clever… IN ME PANTS!** – The shadow launches another round of laughter.

Paul was at the verge of kicking the thing out of the house when Belle came to him again and began to treat his nose.

- **Anyways, listen up. We, yes, you and I, are stuck here. And Ah, just like ya, was visited by that woman y´see in your dreams. But she didn´t want to help me, oh no, she had to LOCK ME UP inside yer head so we could BOTH got our CHANCE OF FUCKING ASS SALVATION!** **Ye gotta get us out of here so we can go back to our time and I can take… Forget the last part.** – The shadow says counting fingers and waving his hands at the last part.

-Belle. Can you see anything in front of the door? – Paul asks Belle.

Belle finishes treating Paul´s nose before looking back at the door and shaking her head in denial.

-Listen Paul, I believe last night the party gave you a real bad time. You´re seeing things, you cannot stand the sunlight and you´re still shaking. Today you should spend the day here and at night I´ll walk you home. – She says.

-I don´t….

-Oh Paul you´ve lived here for most of your life, you are always welcome to visit us and spend nights with. Besides I wouldn´t be a good sister if I allowed you to remain like that. – Belle tells him.

-To me you´ll always be my good and adorable sister, Belle. – Paul smiles while pulling her into another hug.

Belle returns it too and the shadow, unfazed by this, mouths the words "Bang her" to an irritated Paul.

- **I like ta play the third wheel in this moments but I gotta scram. And BTW, if we´re working together ye should know that me name is Vincent.** – The shadow then turns flashes out of existence.

Paul didn´t know what was going on. And he had that hunch that trouble was close to go down for real.


	2. Mr Nuisance and Mr Troublesome

_**Note: The story will take on my view of the events as canonical as possible. If anyone reading this detects a flaw that can be corrected, address me and I´ll see what I can do.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own FNAF or Beauty and the Beast**_

After Belle did all she could for Paul´s nose, she went down to take care of lunch, leaving Paul to attend to his own thoughts. He covers the window with curtains so the sunlight wouldn´t bother him, closes the door and sits in the bed again.

Paul swears there and then he would never drink any alcoholic drink from that moment onward, given that it had made him look like an idiot despite what Belle had tried to make him believe. He never drank before, Maurice had taught him it did no good and Paul always heeded his advices. Paul adds a mental note to speak with Monsieur Gerard about throwing that kind of party ever again.

One objective set, he placed it in his head and moved on to bigger questions.

What was Vincent _?_

" _A hallucination? No_ _that´s been excluded because of my nose._ _Magic? No that doesn´t exist so I can rule that out too."_

But that seemed like the most reasonable answer. No one can cover itself completely in black and have white eyes yet be able to see. It´s impossible! Belle hadn´t seen it either and she was not the type of making jokes involving intruders in the house, much less doing a joke.

" _Let´s presume that it´s magic. What wizard or witch would hold a grudge against me? I never met anyone who was one and I´m sure that if I hurt someone I would realize that."_

Paul scratches his head, feeling tired, and lays down, closing his eyes.

" _As for that creature, just what was that? He was like Vincent but much more terrifying… When did all this…?"_

Paul takes out his new pocket-book, opens it and scrolls the pages, looking for the entry of the day he found out the truth about him. He re-reads the entry and stops when he comes across the words " _Lightning echoed outside of the house, illuminating the town, the trees and the shadow of a thin man; (…)"_

" _Was it the same thing?",_ he wondered." _Were we being watched by Vincent? Or was that the result of a spell? Or_ …", his heart pounds faster, suddenly filled with hope, _"… was that my father?"_

Perhaps his family had been watching him to make sure he had been delivered in good hands! But that would lead to the conclusion that his parents practiced magic, and Paul knew he`d know if he was good with magic.

Paul grabs his pencil and decides to write a new entry:

 _ **25**_ _ **th**_ _ **of November, 1790**_

 _These last two days have been mystery after mystery: First my birthday goes wrong but that´s easy to understand and common. Second I was visited by two mysterious figures. The one I´m more familiar with is called Vincent and he sounds like he came from the asylum. He seems really real because he could break my nose but apparently I´m the only one who can see him. The other one was_ (Paul pauses to ponder) _a rabbit that could walk on two paws and was much taller than me. It too was all black and his eyes had white and blue pupils. So I can assume that Vincent and the rabbit came from the same place or spell (still unlikely to me)._

 _I wonder if this all began when Maurice told me about the day he discovered me in the woods. According to my entries, there was lightning and at the same time the shadow of a man materialized. So either he was Vincent or (once more very unlikely) someone spying on us. And the only reasons I see for spying of us are one of my parents checking on me or a curious neighbor "fearing" for my safety. I really hope it´s the former out of the two._

 _And worst of all, I received_ _ **Gulliver´s Travels**_ _yesterday as a birthday gift and now it´s (_ Paul flips a page to continue writing) _somewhere in the pub. Belle offered to go get it but I don´t see the others giving her passage inside (maybe Gaston would but that won´t be of any good). And Monsieur Gerard told me to seize life and all of it´s past and present. But I don´t picture myself going back to those days. It made sense as a kid but now I wish for quiet days every time. Maybe I´m becoming old to soon. And somewhere deep down I know Gerard is right. And fortunately I can still be a child as long as I have my baby sister and Maurice._

Paul finishes his entry and closes the pocket book. He decides to leave it on top of the desk nearby and proceeds to stretch his arms, hearing a relaxing cracking in the bones. Paul sniffs a pleasant odor in the door and realizes Belle has cooked lunch, which seems to be stewed rabbit. But the smell is accompanied by a musical sound.

The sound comes from outside, so Paul separates the curtains and opens the window, the sunlight flowing back into the room. Paul narrows the eyes and puts a hand above his eyebrows. It takes concentration and time but he manages to distinguish an altar, tables with food and a handful of people chatting. And just by the bushes near the lake he sees Gaston and Lefou, hidden and looking at the house.

" _What the hell?"_ , Paul mentally exclaims.

Was Gaston about to propose to Belle? For the bloody millionth time?

Paul resisted the urge to do an eye-roll so he would see Gaston give Lefou instructions, pointing to the house and to see Lefou eagerly play the maestro rule in the band.

" _Even a band? Mon Dieu!"_

Paul closes the window and runs to downstairs. While on the staircase he heard the doorbell ring and before he could stop her, Belle was already walking past him.

-Wait Belle, no, it´s… - Paul jumps down the staircase.

A sighescapes Belle´s lips along with an eye roll as she saw, through the Visitor´s Mirror, as Maurice had named it, who was at the doorstep.

-…Gaston. – Paul finishes grumbling. – Need help?

-I can handle him Paul, go eat. – Belle reassures him with a confident smile.

He lived with her long enough to know she had the expertise in dismissing men politely, so he retreats to the kitchen in nine giant steps, while Belle opens the door. Yet that did not stop Paul from remaining behind the wall to listen to the conversation.

- **This. Is. Pitiful.**

Paul made a double take before confronting Vincent for a second time, the latter waving off the smoke that came from the prepared dish with a disgusted face.

- **She cooked this? Christ, I don´t like rabbit and neither do ye!** – Vincent complains with crossed arms.

-Actually I like rabbit so you´ll have to tell me how come you think I don´t. – Paul informs and demands him.

- **Hellooo? I´m yer SUBCONSCIOUS! Then again I´m me own man inside an arsehole. You ca- Who the fuck is here too?** – Vincent tilts his head to the side when he heard a conversation.

-Gaston. He´s a hunter.– Paul says.

- **Oh, the "I WANT TO PUNCH THE ASSHOLE" fellow? –** Paul blushes as his definition of Gaston is quoted by Vincent. - **And is that Belle? –** Vincent taps his right foot repeatedly in impatience.

-Yes, Gaston´s trying to propose to her… again./ **again?** – Paul and Vincent finish simultaneously.

- **Nope, nein, niet, he ain´t puttin` his hands on my gal!** – Vincent storms off the kitchen, his white pupils narrowed.

Paul sees him leaving the kitchen and follows him, hiding from sight behind the same wall. He takes a peek. Gaston was sitting in an armchair, his feet with only his pestilent socks crossed on top of the table and his boots lying around. Belle was on the opposite side of Gaston, staring at Gaston´s feet disgusted, though Gaston didn´t seem to notice. And just behind him was Vincent, glaring daggers at the back of his neck. He exchanges an amused look with Paul before cracking his knuckles and placing his hands around Gaston´s head. Gaston stops talking and shivers as if the temperature had gone down to -20ºC. Belle was confused by his sudden attitude and cautiously steps forward to observe him.

Gaston literally jumps out of the armchair and lands right in front of Belle. His eyes are unusually wide open and sweat is running down his face. Vincent was at his left side, a white grin cutting his dark face.

- **I am so sorry for being a stupid idiot, Belle.** – Vincent says. – **I´ve never taken your feelings in consideration and kept messing with you. From now on, I will not disturb, stalk you, thinking dirty thoughts about you and any other unforgivable things I did.**

\- I am so sorry for being a stupid idiot, Belle. I´ve never taken your feelings in consideration and kept messing with you. From now on, I will not disturb, stalk you, thinking dirty thoughts about you and any other unforgivable things I did. – Gaston repeats under his trance.

Belle raises her eyebrows, unsure of what to do or say.

-Well… thank you Gaston but… are you feeling well? – She questions him.

-Fine as I´ll ever feel! Now, I bet ya wanna get cozy with your brother? – Gaston repeats Vincent´s words, his tone neutral while Vincent´s dripping with malice.

Paul´s jaw was hanging a minute ago but now it was the comical description of dumbfounded: his back in a hunch, arms balancing, jaw hanging and twitching and, to complete the painting, the urge to laugh barely held back. Belle is not away of following suit and Vincent releases a maniacal laughing that Gaston imitates. Vincent now heads to the door with Gaston on his side, the former making sure to give giant steps and walking like a penguin, and makes Gaston open the door and step outside.

Immediately the band played it´s fast and euphoric play and the guests looked away from their points of interest to look at the newlyweds. But when they saw only Gaston at the door, with sweat and eyes wide open, they got confused and concerned. Even Lefou of all people noticed him.

-My friends! I have talked to Belle and I have come to realize I have been a prick. I have better things to do than harassing Belle and to prove that I´m calling off the wedding! – Gaston shouted with his arms spread, with Vincent trying to keep the pompous act.

-WHAT? – The wedding guests shout in unison.

-You didn´t hear me? Shou, shou, everyone get back to your tedious lives. I gotta take a dive. – Gaston gestured the people to leave. The next thing everyone knows is that Gaston leapt to join the pigs in a mud bath, which has all beginning to think he was sick.

Paul and Belle, who were watching with the others, respectively throw Gaston´s boots outside and close the door, locking it before the people outside came barging in with questions. There was a moment of silence that stretched for too long. It was broken with soft chuckles coming from Paul, which was soon followed by laughter, one so strong that it made the broken nose hurt, him clutching his belly and gasping for air. Belle joins in too, resulted from the situation and the contagious laughter.

-W-what is w-HAHAHA- wrong with Gas-HAHA-ton? – She chokes on her question as she tried to move to the living room.

-Can´t imagine what and don´t care. – Paul lies. –For all I care, the village will never let Gaston forget this day and I´ll treasure it for the rest of my life.

 _KNOCK, KNOCK_

- **Oi, Paul. Lemme in!**

Paul looks through the Visitor´s Mirror to see Vincent banging on the door and Gaston walking away from the cottage, covered in mud and cursing loudly to the heavens with an ever present Lefou consoling him. Paul waits for Gaston to go away and unlocks the door to let Vincent in.

- **Now that´ll teach `im not to mess with my catch. So, Ah reckon you have questions?** – Vincent cleans the dust from his dark form and sees Paul nodding. – **Alrighty then, have a sit.**

Paul obeys and Vincent walks around the room, touching the things and photos.

- **So, I´m Vincent, the only cool thing that´s happened to ya in all of yer life and I´m 23 years old, yuppy, Ah´m yer age. I love purple, I love knives, mocking people and things and FOXY! I hate that crying excuse for an animatronic, my family, and all that is related to Freddy Fazbear and me.**

-Wait, who are Foxy, that Freddy Frezbear person and how come you hate yourself?

- **Because I could not stop ye from becoming a bookworm sucker, you pussy-cat. And Freddy FAZbear, not Frezbear, shame on you, rot in hell, is a pizzeria from around the block I lived. And Foxy, just my favorite character of the crew. A pirate fox, with a hook,** \- Vincent curves his right indicator into a hook. – **an eye-patch,** \- his right eye pupil disappears. – **and he sang the merriest songs I heard in me childhood.** **He´s also the reason Ah talk like a pirate.**

-A "pizzeria" and a pirate fox? Right… - Paul says unconvinced as he crosses his left leg over the right one.

- **I´m tellin` ya the truth. But to put it short, I made mistakes, a HUGE victory, then the greatest idiocy ever known. I died as a consequence of that. –** Vincent stares at Paul with sadness. **–My, yer really `im.** – He whispers.

If Paul heard that, he wished not to pry on that wound.

- **I found me self chained to the floor, no way out, only pain, in a dark place. I thought I wouldn´t get out but a lass in gold and purple appeared and gave me a second chance. But she sent me** **inside** **your head. I tried to get out but I couldn´t. One day the old fatso of your father…**

-Don´t talk about Maurice like that! – Paul warns mad at Vincent.

- **Fine, yer wish is ma command. MAURICE told ye how he found us and your control over me slipped. In a minute Ah´m sleeping, the next one I was watching ya from the window outside in the rain. From that point on, whenever I could I would slip out and have a look around. Saved yer arse a couplatimes. Back when those wolves chase ya in the woods? I scared them. The time when ya almost fell of the roof of the tavern in the winter 5 years ago? I grabbed your coat and got you only scratches. –** Vincent went on and on.

Paul´s mind drifted off after hearing about that fateful day. The explanation allowed him to connect several dots, such as his luck for getting out of tricky situations and the shadow he saw when Maurice told the truth. It placed a big fire on his heart as his happy assumption that his real parents were watching over him burned.

- **…and ye´ve met Bonnie.**

-Sorry, who now? – Paul snaps out of his trance.

- **You weren´t paying attention! Fuck me!** – Vincent snaps, losing his pirate accent. – **As I said, the Fazbear gang consisted in animatronics, walking mechanical metal animals, with suits on. There´s Foxy, whom I´ve told you of, there´s the leader Freddy Fazbear, a brown bear with a microphone, bowtie and hat, Chica, a… chicken, yeah! And last but not important Bonnie.**

-I have never met any of those demons you speak of. – Paul shakes his head.

- **Oh yeah? Then what do you think it happened that made you wake up in Maurice´s room?** – Vincent asks with a huge toothed smile.

Paul remembers the dark silhouette outside the cottage in the previous night. So it hadn´t been an illusion. He decides to close his eyes to search for memories for it. When he does, Paul trembles in fear.

-So the demon last night was real. – He concludes, licking his dry lips and rubbing his temples.

-Paul, come eat with me. Who are you talking to? – Belle´s voice came from the kitchen.

A sigh.

-On my way.

Paul rises slowly and heads to the kitchen without rush. He doesn´t bother to wonder where Vincent had gone.

Lunch was quiet for Paul. So it was the afternoon, with Paul not wanting to see the outside. However, when one grows bored out of their mind, they go find an activity they consider great for them. And so Paul decided to sit on the bench on the back of the cottage, outside, to see the view the hill provided. The hangover was growing to be minor by the time he went outside, so zero problems with the idea. The birds were chirping harmoniously, the trees danced at the whim of the wind, the mountains at the far extreme of the valley offered might and a horse neighed.

A horse neighed?

Paul turns his head to the left suddenly, making pain attack his neck which he ignores when he recognizes the horse.

-Phillipe?

The horse trots towards him, constantly stomping the ground in nervousness. His rider is gone, and that is what strikes fear in Paul, who approaches Phillipe with the right hand raised. The horse allows the safety and familiarity of the touch to course in his veins and neighs. Paul checks the horse for clues in sight but finds none. He puts a hand in the saddle and senses it´s cold, meaning Maurice had been gone for a long time, probably in the night.

" _The fool knows better not to go to the forest in the night. Science fair or not, brains comes first"_ , Paul scolds mentally.

-BELLE! – He calls his friend.

Seconds later, she comes out of the house. She sees Phillippe and asks what had happened. By then, Paul thought, she had deduced that either Maurice changed his mind about going to the fair or had a setback and came back.

-Phillippe came just now. I´m admiring the sunset and I hear him neighing next to me. Maurice wasn´t with him so I´m hoping nothing is terribly wrong with him. – Paul informs her.

Belle looks from Paul to the path leading to the forest and to Phillippe. Then she runs back to the house and emerges wearing a hooded cloak, a lantern with a candle inside it already lit and a determinated look.

-Wow, you can´t go out there all alone. – Paul gets in her way.

-Papa´s in danger. I won´t sit here doing nothing! – She protests, contouring him.

-Let me at least go with you, Belle! – Paul offers.

-If anyone finds out we´re gone, they will ask questions. I need you to stay here to keep them away. Tell them anything. – Belle tells him already mounting the saddle.

-It´s gonna get dark any time now. It ain´t safe. – Paul tries to dissuade her for a final time, grabbing her left arm.

-Oh, Paul, please!

Belle had never begged once in her life, never for a new book, never to stay home alone. Belle learned with 8 years old how to get to the book shop, how to do her duties from since she was his leg´s height and more. She hadn´t begged to be the one to do everything alone, nor to get out of working. Now there was Paul, making her do something that didn´t suit her and that didn´t fit her.

-Fine. – It came with reluctance, but he concedes.

Belle allows her arm to slip past Paul´s grip and with her mind made up, she incited Phillippe to gallop into the forest.

Paul doesn´t let her out of sight until the trees and the sun become an obstacle, time when he strides back to the bench and sits on it, praying to God that no one will get killed.

His worries haunt him until he enters the tavern through the same door as before, the time of the day when he knows his new troubles would be waiting inside the building. Paul still suffers from the hangover effects but he had gone over the situation and concluded that, even with the headache, he had a duty that night. Monsieur Gerárd waves him hello when Paul walks past him and Paul waved without looking at him. The older man saw right through the reason for his grumpy face and wrote him a message in a napkin.

Paul began his work just as the costumers entered the tavern for a warm beer to fight the cold snowy night. He threw glances all over the room, trying to deduce from the general complaints and their activities before, what they´ll order. It was a skill Paul had been working on with Monsieur Gerárd: The older man knew what drinks to satisfy the people in various occasions and most men´s preferences; Paul had to learn it for himself, coming with unexpected successes and lucky guesses and a scold when he failed. Paul was getting there…

Paul went to the shelves behind him and searched them for whisky for the new-comers, frozen to the bone, and distilled beer for those who had arrived already but were still cold. He puts the bottles on the table and takes four beer cups in his hands. In them he pours the whole bottle of whisky and sets them right in front of four lumberjacks who were making way already to order. He took four more cups in his hands and filled them with the booze and set them to his left, waiting for pick-up.

The tavern came to life in a matter of minutes with the people realizing Paul was serving them, dropping their money on the counter and taking the drinks away. Monsieur Gerárd ended up joining the party, both as the bartender and a free-of-charges client. Using one of the said moments, he slipped the message on the napkin to Paul without the latter noticing.

The night went on with no incidents and Paul becoming gradually the object of many challenges. Paul took them all while keeping his annoyed hums to himself and focused on trying to discover a certain man his favorite drink and making the better mixes of drinks (not recommended, don´t try this at home). A success here, a failure there, and the costumers were happy. Paul lost track of time, his concentration on the job keeping him from paying attention to the napkin on the table and other stuff, mainly because the headache would come now and then, yet self-control kept the setback under control.

Well, almost…

It was only two times, but Paul couldn´t have helped it and would have felt the need to get a glass of water. In those moments, he had to stare at the gigantic chair made of hunted animal´s bones and skinned pelts near the fireplace where the angry Gaston sat in silent. His only company was Lefou, who kept trying to cheer him up despite the bruises he received as a response. Paul remembered Vincent and his joke earlier in the day. It left Gaston in quite the mood as anyone can guess.

Gaston didn´t leave the chair for a single moment, Lefou picking up the drinks for him. At one time he had asked Paul what had actually happened, to which he had answered with "Gaston got some sense the moment he was told Belle was leaving". Poor Lefou believed it and didn´t speak with Paul again.

It must have been around 4 am, almost closing time according to the tired Monsieur Gerárd, when a surprise came barging in from the door. Maurice comes in, shouting for help and saying Belle had been kidnapped. Paul vaults over the counter in aid for the old man.

-Easy Maurice, deep breaths. – He instructs. – Now, from the beginning.

-A MONSTER! – Maurice shouts, dropping to his knees, desperately. – A MONSTER HELD ME CAPTIVE IN A CASTLE! A HEDIOUS MONSTER WITH HORNS, CLAWS AND PAWS AND HE HAS BELLE!

- **Well, he´s lost it.** – Vincent says while examining him, materializing on his knees. Paul threw him a "shut up" look and turns his attention to Maurice.

-Maurice, please, breath! I´ll take him home! – Paul says.

-Do that before he makes us crazy. – A tailor jokes resulting in laughter all over the tavern.

Ignoring them, Paul picks Maurice up with an arm and moves him outside the tavern.

The snow covered the square, the roofs were white with the freezing and the falling snow that touched Paul made him shiver. He has to hurry or he´ll freeze. Maurice keeps shouting for help, pleading with Paul to do something, to rescue Belle from the monster and Paul has to try and calm him down over and over again. Vincent, apparently with enough rein on his tongue to see he wouldn´t need to comment his state, kept quiet.

At last Paul spots the cottage and thanks God. They get inside and Paul takes Maurice near the fireplace, lighting it with two rocks he had brought from outside. After he makes sure Maurice has at least gotten warmed up and that the fireplace didn´t need more wood, he asks him to tell the story.

-I-I-I-I was on m-my way to the scienc-ce fair when the damn w-w-wolves attacked me. I mad-d-de Phillippe run and w-w-we found a c-cast-tle. – He stuttered. – I knocke-ed but no one answered. I got in and e-explor-red the castle. I grabbed a cha- chandelier and then… they spoke.

-Who? – Paul inquired in a firm tone.

-The clock, the chandelier, the teapot, the cup… the house-keeping tools, the furniture, they spoke!

Paul assumed his fear and isolation must have made him see things.

-But how does Belle fit into all that? – He changes the type of question.

-T-the b-b-b-beast found m-me and l-locked me in a dungeon. I lost t-track of t-time b-but when Bel-le found me, sh-she was c-caught. She w-wanted me to leave but the beast would not let me. So sh-she took my pl-place. She´s trap-trapped in the castle! We ha-ha-have to rescue h-her!

Paul processes the information before leaving Maurice to his thoughts, heading to his temporary room to retrieve his things.

- **I won´t stop ya in yer decision.** – Vincent said sitting on the bed when Paul arrived. – **I´d do the same.**

-Thanks. – Paul says. He puts on a pair of dark gloves and changes his waistcoat for a furred jacket.

- **But if ya endup dying, I canna help ya.** – Vincent warns, beating the palms of his hands in his knees at the rhythm of a shanty.

-Not a trouble. Maurice was obviously overreacting. No one´s lived in a castle for the last fifteen years and if there´s someone actually living there, it´s probably some crazy man dressed in pelts. I´ll take a knife for precaution. – Paul says, picking up a dirty brown cloak inside the wardrobe and putting it around his back, lifting the hood to cover his face.

- **Yer the brains. –** Vincent says, heading to the window. He looks outside and says: - **Thinkin´ better, take this mate.**

The candle emanating the light inside a lantern makes Paul see with more clarity the object Vincent is offering him. The black rectangular object is unknown to him however.

- **It´s a phone. If things get fucked up with capital F, press the big button and it´ll save yer arse in a heartbeat.**

Paul takes the object and puts it inside a travelling bag that is over his shoulder. He wants to thank Vincent but he sees he´s gone now. Next, he goes down to the kitchen, puts some fruit in the bag and a piece of bread and heads out.

-I promise I will bring Belle back. – He shouts by the door.

Maurice had no doubt in that. He walked up to the door and used his invention to see Paul running, or attempting to, through the snow, heading to town. He decides he will be fine when he sees something that freezes him in fear.

A few meters behind Paul, a walking bipedal black fox stalked him.


	3. What do they want?

_**Note: The story will take on my view of the events as canonical as possible. If anyone reading this detects a flaw that can be corrected, address me and I´ll see what I can do.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own FNAF or Beauty and the Beast**_

 _ **P.S.: I´m getting worried. Would you, the reader, please leave a review?**_

* * *

Free-time. The thing that, in Paul´s opinion, was humanity´s biggest workshop.

People with no chores or work to attend to get a certain amount of time for themselves that is used in a million ways: There are those who stay in their houses and take the time off for a rest, others take a walk in their favorite/well-known places to see the movement and news, others take care of not-so-concerning tasks that can be completed and others use it to discovers the land and the secrets of their town.

Paul had done them all, and his most rewarding one had been discovering and taming a wild horse.

It hadn´t been that long ago, 2 years ago to be exact, when his need to do something drove him to the outside of the town´s limits, to the main road and then to an irregular and mountainous path. Exploring it all the way up, he had found a clearing next to a forest where, according to the rumors, a new school was about to be built. Said school was to be the replacement for the old unsafe one, so poorly-maintained the children needed to have classes outdoors. And in the clearing he found a lone horse.

Paul had begun to spend time with the horse and at first the horse had shown suspicion towards him. Yet, after being stubborn enough, the horse came to acknowledge Paul and in time he had come to allow him to eat, sleep and ride him. Paul, in turn, around the time the new school was about to open and he had to move the horse somewhere else, took him to a man he trusted, Louis Bernard, who made his living treating horses and renting them, and left the horse, renamed Chevalier, to his care.

Louis Bernard was only a year younger than Paul but he was taller by a few inches, preferred the moustache like most townsfolk, had hazel eyes, a curve scar from the chin to the upper lip, pale skin, and wore a beaten tricorn. His clothes were fit for the weather but older than his years, so that if they were to get dirty, there´d be no harm. When Paul`s vision lands on his hands, he saw Louis` father`s wedding ring, which he wore since he got married eleven months ago with the niece of François.

And Louis had fallen asleep inside a small wooden cubicle he had rented to run his renting horses business. The man, however, had the unlucky habit of forgetting to lock the door, meaning it wasn´t difficult for Paul to find Louis and to shake him awake.

-What? Paul? – He mumbles tiredly.

-Sorry Louis but I need your help. It´s about Belle. – Paul excuses.

-Is she in trouble? – Louis half yawns, half asks, his attention sharpening.

-I´m hoping she isn´t. She went looking for Maurice but only he came back, screaming that she´s been made prisoner in a castle. – Paul says, giving Louis some space.

Louis` attention sharpens more at that.

-And you want to ride Chevalier to check all castles? – He asks grabbing a shovel next to the table.

-Not all of them. Maurice says he was attacked by wolves and the only area where they´re found in the winter is west of here. I´ll take the main road through the woods and go through the forest. – Paul corrects.

-That´s insane, that´s what it is. – Louis comments, going to the stables with Paul on toe. – Wait a minute, have to clear the way.

Paul does as asked and watches as Louis clears mounts of straw left in the way of the stable. When that was done, Louis unlocks Chevalier´s door and brings him out. The black horse neighs at the sight of Paul and the latter caresses his nose.

-C´mon Chevalier. We got a damsel to rescue. – He jokes with more seriousness than humor.

Louis puts and straps a saddle on Chevalier and Paul climbs to the horse´s back. Without a word of goodbye or gratitude, he had Chevalier leave the stables and ride at full speed to the forest. Louis wished them luck and turns back to leave the cold and return to the feeling of a warm home. The only thing he felt was something curve hoisting him up from the jaw, making him choke on the blood flowing down his throat.

* * *

Chevalier tries to make way through the snow, now inches higher than moments ago. The horse is tired of the long journey and Paul wants and begs him to last longer. The path to the road had been easy, getting out of the road and moving forward, now that´s being the challenge. Occasionally, a howl was heard but it was far away from the rider. The trip had to go faster so they´d be safe but the storm was picking up, making life hard for the duo.

And the forest was never-ending, full of trees that obstructed the field of vision of the distressed man and the dark of the night was only illuminated by the lantern.

-BELLE! – Paul shouts. He knows it´s pretty much useless, but the idea of her finding her way away from the castle is one of four possibilities lingering in his mind.

The horse stirs up in anxiety.

-What is it? – Paul gets Chevalier under control and looks for signs of trouble.

A strong gust of wind blows to their faces and makes Chevalier step back. In doing so, he hits with the back of his right hind foot on a pointy rock hidden in the snow and Chevalier loses balance and gets thrown backwards. Paul flies off the saddle and lands on his back in the pillow of snow, the bag landing on his right and the lantern smashing in a nearby tree. Seeing that he isn´t hurt, he lifts himself up with the help of a fallen log and checks on Chevalier.

Laid down on the right side, letting out soft and irregular breaths, Chevalier is a black spot in a white field, with his right hind foot bent in agony. Paul goes to attend to the injured foot and sees the place where the skin had been cut and shortly ripped off. In a short while, a bandage is improvised from the bag´s strap and applied on the foot.

Now for the not so easy part.

He goes behind the horse, digs his hands beneath the snow until they touch the closest to the horse´s belly as possible, then he tries to lift him up. The horse is heavy and his best efforts only allow Paul to lift him an inch off the ground.

Considering he never was one for doing much physical efforts, Paul tires himself out in a single try, panting and with his arms trembling. But he gains more strength by believing his sister needed help. He goes to try again and the horse, like magic, is pushed up.

" _Woah",_ he exclaims mentally, looking at his hands.

- **Ain´t ya gunna thank me?** – The voice of Vincent assaults his ears.

-I thought you could only… Nevermind. – Paul waves the question off. He adjusts the jacket to better protect himself, takes the reins and tries to walk slow so Chevalier doesn´t feel more pain than needed.

And then came the screams.

Female ones, ones that Paul immediately identifies and make him run off without Chevalier, Vincent on toe.

- **RUN, Paul, run!** – He screamed, letting out a snort of laughter. Why, Paul can´t think.

The snow was making him basically walk on water yet it doesn´t stop him. He gets closer and closer to the screams until he can see the wolves. They had trapped Belle and Phillippe in a circle, leaving no window of escape. Belle had resorted to defending herself with a large stick and Phillipe was just freaking out. Paul charges right through the snow, grabbing a large stick on the ground and throwing it to one of the wolves, hitting it in the ear. Said wolf focuses on the stick and then behind him, to see a new delicious meal. It snarls at Paul, making some of the wolves noticed his presence and join him, and Paul backs away.

- **Come on, what´s next, Sherlock?** – Vincent inquires a bit freaked out.

-I don´t know. – Paul whispers, slapping himself mentally for not bringing the knife with him.

- **Are ya…? FUCK!** – Vincent yells, scaring away a bird sticking his head outside his nest nearby and halting the wolves attacking both him and Belle.

-Paul?! – Belle finally notices his supposed rescuer. Phillippe neighs loudly, snapping the wolves out of their trances.

The wolves make themselves ready to jump at Belle and Paul when their ears perk up and all their heads turn to analyze something behind Paul. Paul holds his breath. He really wants to see if they have a savior with a shotgun (" _Gaston, I´ve never been this glad to have you around",_ Paul sighs) protecting them, however, knowing it could prove a fatal mistake, he keeps watching the wolves. Whoever it is, it makes the wolves whimper and scatter away from their preys.

-Uff. – Paul expels his held breath.

 **Audio file: Foxy´s song; FNAF Wiki Foxy (FNAF 1) Character Page**

 **Dum, dum, dededum,dum,dum,dum,dedebum,debum,dedebom…**

- **Paul, don´t freak out. The weapon I gave you. Use it. Now. –** Vincent warns. Was there fear in his distorted tone?

His back is turned to the threat, but Vincent trembles as if he had grown an eye behind his head and taken a look at their new problem. Belle is as confused as she had been when Paul had asked her if she could see Vincent. Was it another magic spell?

Steps on the snow get closer and the humming gets more audible. He turns around in a single slow movement and he sees it.

 _CLANG!_

The hanging jaw snaps violently back into place and hangs down from the hinges.

 _CLUNG!_

A bare black foot, larger than a regular human one, rises and drops hard on the ground, even touching the ground.

 _Drip,drip,drip…_

Blood drips from a ripped jaw stuck on a hook, with a scar going from the chin to the lip, the tongue stuck too by the hook.

-Louis. – Paul murmurs when he realizes whose jaw that was. –Why? – He screams to the pitch black walking fox.

Even with the darkness surrounding it, Paul noticed the chunks of flesh missing in the nose, ears, torso and lower legs and feet. It left his skeleton, far from belonging to a regular fox, exposed and almost covered in snow. The sharp teeth glowed white. It took Paul a lot of courage not to shit himself for staring into his red eyes with a white circle around them. It wanted blood.

-Paul, there´s a jaw floating in the air. – Belle says, grabbing his arm and dragging him back with her. Phillippe neighs loudly.

- **Mate, the weapon. USE it.** – Vincent reminds and orders, backing away too.

Paul, in all the commotion, had forgotten that Vincent had given him a… thing. But he had put it in the bag, which he had left near Chevalier. And in the way was the monstrosity.

The fox looked from Paul to Vincent, who was shaking like leaves, back to Paul and in the same order again.

* * *

 **AN: /Okay, time for a little pause. For Foxy´s voice, to save the bother of imagining how Foxy´s voice sounds like, check out a video of Nightmare Foxy´s voice by David Near**./

* * *

- **I-I-IIII´ve got ya now, ya dickless fuck.** – It speaks, the jaw lifting up and down, the eyes staring deep into Vincent´s white irises and the voice mechanical, deep, angry and with a pirate´s accent.

- **F-f-f-foxy… How y-ya do bud?** **Them years ha-haven´t been unmerciful with ya.** – Vincent gulped down his fears and tried to easy talk "Foxy".

Paul´s eyes were almost out of it´s sockets. THAT was Foxy?

- **Ye´ve learn men talk, hem? Did good, did good… -** Vincent continues, taking a trembling sidestep to the left.

Foxy followed him with his eyes.

- **C-call me ba-ba-by me name, murderer. I kn-ow ye know it-it-it-it.** – Foxy`s voice was raspier.

Vincent made a discreet nod to where Chevalier was to Paul.

- **Sure, sure, Carlos. Or de ye want y-y-er old friend** **to call ye by yer nickname? Huh?** – Vincent takes another step to the side and Foxy still stares at him, starting to turn his side away from the two humans.

Paul takes a large and slow step to the right, providing some distance from Foxy´s back and Belle. She tries to stop him but when her eyes meet the lifting jaw and the newly-made footsteps, she stops.

- **NOOOOoo! My name. The r-r-r-real one!** – Foxy snaps, the head twitching and twisting in unnatural angles.

- **Okey dokey, ok, capisco. –** Vincent forms a fake safe smile, backing away as far as he can.

Foxy moves forward, his leg shaking as if he wanted to run and catch Vincent, his only hand ripping the jaw out of the hook and dropping it. Paul takes another step to the right, finding himself farther away from the creature, and runs to Chevalier. The fox snaps his attention to Paul, finds him uninteresting, shifts the attention to Vincent again and resumes humming his melody.

Belle, all the while these actions took place, stood still in fright, eyeing the trail of footsteps leading away.

- **How are ye even here, eh? Ye don´t belong here.** – Vincent buys more time.

- **WE were sick-ick of waitin` for ya to emerge. We came to bring ya where you belong.** – Foxy answers, the jaw slamming ever louder against the top of it´s mouth.

- **…we?** – Vincent trips on his words.

- _ **Ye-eEeeEEEee-es, Vincy. We.**_

* * *

Paul ran as fast as he could until he found the place where he had left Chevalier. To his horror, however, the horse was laying on the ground again, his belly drilled by one hell of a hole, the blood leaving the body in jets and Chevalier… neighing in pain at whatever was eating him from the inside.

Paul feels that that was the limit. The vomit fell on the snow, making a green and yellow mess in contrast to the beautiful white and the colorful dark red of the blood. The horse stops neighing in pain for a second and then he resumes it, with something literally trying to rip the flesh covering the ribs apart to come out. Which was accomplished in a matter of nanoseconds.

The hole has a third of the size of the cut in the belly and out of it comes an ugly little bear cub with a hat. It was covered in blood, yet noticeably dark, it´s face just like a ball, white little points forming the irises and a smile ripped in it´s face, from which came out sharp pointy teeth.

Chevalier dies immediately after two more cubs joined their brother.

They laugh with the laughter of children, but much faster, higher-pitch, and they trembled in anxiety. Then they get out of the horse and hide behind the horse. Paul hadn´t processed what they were when they emerge from behind Chevalier as one single huge dark bipedal bear. A bear with eyes of a bright orange, the same hat as the cubs, a distinct bowtie, sharp white teeth, standing on it´s two hind feet and, like Foxy, with chunks of flesh missing and veins sticking out.

* * *

 **AN: /Take in consideration, for Freddy´s voice, the video of Freddy´s voice by David Near. And for the words written in Italic, Nightmare Freddy´s voice by the same youtuber./**

* * *

- **Say, what do we have here, folks? A lost lil` squirt?** **–** It´s voice was unlikely Foxy´s. It was friendlier, not high pitched, but echoed as if said inside a metal container, and he seemed to speak to an invisible audience.

If not for the current situation, Paul would feel safer.

Paul jumps to the bag and passed a hand inside it, desperately looking for the thing or the knife, hell, both, his eyes never leaving the monster.

- **Now, don´t be shy. Say hello to your best friend Freddy. Come** _ **before I drag your soul to HEEEeeeell.**_ – The tone, which had started out as inviting, turns to threatening in a beat.

-What are you? What do you want with Vincent? – Paul demanded, removing the black object called "phone" and the knife.

- **Me? I want to be your friend. But you can´t have** _ **hiiiis soul**_ **fear in your heart if you want to be part of the band…** \- Freddy explained, pointing a sharp finger to Paul´s heart. – **Now sit back while I** _ **remove your heart**_ **.**

-Go away! – Paul commands, running off away from Freddy.

- **You can run, my child. Yet** _ **I will find you**_ **and when I do, you will diDiDIDIdie.** **–** Freddy, deeply amused, warns Paul, whose back is facing him.

* * *

Paul´s heart is squeezing tight in his chest from the overwhelming fear, the quick inhales of air tear his lungs apart and the tears were close to escaping the eyes. To be scared right now was an understatement. He was feeling fucked up. Paul´s intestines sunk down to his testicles when he got back to the place where he had left Belle and Vincent. Belle was hanging in the air in the arms of another demon, a black bird (Paul can´t tell if it´s a chicken or a duck) with red eyes and a hint of pink in the middle, two long wingless arms, chunks of flesh missing, especially in the legs, and a beak with white teeth sharper than Freddy and Foxy together.

* * *

 **AN: /Right, this time watch the Nightmare Chica`s voice. Same youtuber but David Near´s sister did the voice/**

* * *

- _ **Oh, I like her.**_ – It says in a girly giggling voice. By opening her beak she reveals two more rows of teeth inside her mouth. – _**Isn´t she the most goorgeus thing in the world?**_

Belle screams, debating to set herself free, oblivious to the demon speaking.

- **Charlotte, I need your help here.** – Foxy called out, holding Vincent in his hand by the neck.

- _ **Oh right!**_ – Chica said. She keeps the screaming Belle stuck below her armpit and heads over to Foxy´s location.

Vincent struggles to release himself.

- **Guys, listen up. Can´t we makeadeal?** – Vincent proposes to the two monstrosities, only to get slammed in a nearby tree.

- **We don´t make deals with scum like ya. Ye haf to pay for puttin` us through damnation.** – Foxy growls with venom.

- _ **It feels so long, since I´ve lost myself, to this monster, I felt sad. Since we´ve been gone, I looked at life in a different way, so now I feel happy.**_ – Charlotte sang, making small jumps as she made her way to Vincent.

- **Oh, learn how ta sing, Chica. Yer worse than a grievin` lass.** – Vincent insults with an eye-roll.

-… **He is right, ye know.** – Foxy, to everyone´s surprise except but the screaming Belle, agrees.

- **WHAT DID YOU SAY, SKINNY NOSE?** – Chica or Charlotte lost her happy tone and uses the free right hand to penetrate the dark skin and grab an organ or something that makes Foxy yell.

" _They´re distracted. Now!",_ Paul thought.

He inspects the phone to see how he could get it too work until he found a button that he pressed real hard. Out of the device a hesitant and greeting voice:

" _Hello? Hello, hello. Uh- Hello and welcome to your new summer_ _job at the new and improved Freedy Fazbear´s Pizza."_

The monsters freeze in shock and stare at Paul.

- **Now throw it as hard as ye can.** – Vincent shouted.

Paul does as requestedand the phone lands somewhere to his Norwest, the voice of the message continuing talking. The monsters look to Vincent, snarl viciously and let him slide from the tree.

- _ **It´s not him!**_ – Chica exclaims.

It drops Belle in the ground and runs to the voice source, with Foxy at her side waving his hook in the air. Paul rushes to her and hugs her, relieved to see her and brings her to her feet.

-It´s alright, Belle. Let´s get out of here. – He tries to comfort her crying friend.

Vincent chooses the occasion to run to Paul and enter him, reappearing as a voice in Paul´s mind, begging him to leave the place for good. No arguments there. Paul whistles and Phillippe approaches them, shaken up too if that´s possible for an animal. He is to lead Belle into the saddle when a black arm wraps around his and Belle´s neck and hoists them up. They can still breathe but having the head feeling the weight of the rest of the body is not a good feeling.

* * *

 **AN: /Don´t have to say it, huh? Same youtuber but with the remaining Nightmare animatronic´s voice/**

* * *

 **-** **Well, two rabbits in a single catch, whaddya now?** \- a voice giggles.

\- **Not this one!** – Vincent pleads in the head of Paul.

Paul searches his mind, looking for a connection between the monsters and Vincent´s tale, and comes across a piece of information: " _And ye´ve met Bonnie"_.

-Bonnie? – He asks.

- **Ah, so you do Know me. I´m Touched, Kiddo. I really am.** **–** Bonnie chuckles.

The arm holding Paul retreats quickly so that the hand can now hold Paul and Bonnie hoists him up even higher, leaving him looking into his encased in metal blue eyes.

- **That means we can cut to the chase and I can kill you.** **–** Bonnie says in a controlled and musical tone.

-Paul. What´s going on? – Belle cries.

- **A friend? Or maybe girlfriend? Eh, WHO CARES!** **-** Bonnie laughs. – **She can suffer too! UNless… You Come out Vincent.**

" _Please Vincent, please!",_ Paul urges Vincent, only getting static as an answer.

 _ **-No?! Oh Well…**_

Bonnie drops and restrains Paul again by holding him below his left foot. Next, he takes his free hand to Belle´s neck and brings her to face him and begins to squeeze her neck, suffocating her. She gasps for air and struggles with the invisible hand. But it´s a fight she can´t win.

-No, please, no! – Paul begs.

Bonnie plays a deaf ear to Paul´s protests and squeezes harder.

When all hope is lost, a mighty beast jumps and knocks down Bonnie, grasping the monster´s wrist and twisting it to release Belle, roaring to his face. Bonnie roars too and kicks the creature in the groin, forcing the pressure of the creature to lessen and Bonnie uses that to it´s advantage.

A headbutt and the creature lets go of him, stumbling back, and Bonnie puts strength in his legs to jump to his feet. Then he uses his big paws to claw his arms and chest, damaging the grey shirt it wore, and then the hands fly to the back and scratch the purple cape and the back upwards. The creature screamed in agony but Bonnie didn´t stop there. He dives to the creature´s legs and bites it hard on the leg, ruining the black pants. The creature yells in pain and tries to drive it´s fingers into Bonnie´s eyes, but the nails can´t penetrate the metal. So it tries to drive a hand through the chest and succeeds in going in through the chest and piercing the back. Bonnie groans and releases him, remaining still in the ground.

Silence with exception of the wind and the creature breathing loudly falls upon the forest as everyone stares at the demon twitching and dissolving into black liquid. It raises a hand weakly in a final attempt to capture Paul but it falls before even touching the boots. When Bonnie liquefies completely, it evaporates into a white specter, a boy of no more than ten years old with blue dots for eyes, a weird black short-sleeved shirt, blonde greasy hair and… a stab wound in the belly?

- _Please, no. Not now. Not now!_ – The specter cries, trying to swim back to the ground.

In the end, with a last ask for another chance, it explodes into a thousand white dots, which mixed with the snowflakes and were lost from sight.

Growls. Angry and bloodthirsty.

The other three demons, Freddy, Chica and Foxy glare daggers to the creature and Paul, melting the snow at their feet, with the equivalent of tears leaking down their faces. The beast, despite the severity of injuries, readies itself for a new attack.

- **How could ye slaughter `im? Me friend…**

 **-** _ **Brad´s really *hick* gone. It can´t be…**_

Foxy and Chica intend to charge at the creature but as if it had read the vengeful thoughts, Freddy got in front of them and faced the creature:

- _ **I don´t know what you are but I do know**_ **this: You have killed a good friend of ours. We won´t see this event forgotten so keep th** _ **is**_ _ **in mind. After HE´s been dealt with, we´ll come for you**_ **.** **–** Freddy turns his eyes to Paul. – **And you, Vincent, I´m aware you can hear me inside the adult. I will** _ **personally tear your spirit apart even if the girl you crave and the adult who holds you**_ **has to die for that.**

Freddy´s eyes flash and he turns into mist, his two friends doing it too. The mists fly to the sky at the whim of the wind and disappear.

Paul´s eyelids grow heavy and he faints from exhaustion.


	4. Adjusting to the events

_**Note: The story will take on my view of the events as canonical as possible. If anyone reading this detects a flaw that can be corrected, address me and I´ll see what I can do.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own FNAF or Beauty and the Beast**_

It feels so good. He doesn´t want to wake up to face whatever fate has in store for him. He cares only for sleeping a few more hours, no, days!

But a voice kept him from said achievement:

- **Oh I thought I heard,**

 **The old man say:**

 **Leave her Johnny, leave her.**

 **Tomorrow ye will get yer pay,**

 **And it´s TIME for US to leave her.**

 **Leave her Johnny, leave her,**

 **OH! Leave her Joohnny, leave her.**

 **For the voyage is LONG,**

 **And the winds don´t blow,**

 **And it´s TIME for US to leave her.**

 **I hate to sail on this rotten tub.**

 **Leave her Johnny, leave her,**

 **She shipped it green and none went by,**

 **And it´s TIME for US to leave…**

- **Ah, ye left Sandman´s turf already?** – Vincent asks.

Paul lightly opens his eyes and stares at his left side, getting spooked when he saw Vincent laying on the bed beside him.

-Can you please, for God´s sake, stop scaring me? – Paul asks, shifting position to stand with his back against Vincent, and pulling the covers of the bed to have better comfort.

- **Um… I think Ah can´t.** – Vincent irritably answers. He grabs the pillow below his face and smacks Paul with it. – **Now let´se go! GO! GO!**

" _Why did God choose to trash my life with him?!",_ Paul grumbles in his head.

So with little to no choice to take, he leaves the bed, finding himself only in pants and bare footed. He searches for his clothes, rooming every drawer and cabinet for them, and he comes to realize he is in a room he´s never seen before: The walls were white and old, darkened by the shadows every closed window casted;The ceiling was white too, with a richly ornamented chandelier with two lit candles; The wardrobe and cabinets made of fine wood but filled with spider webs; Moths flying and landing on the top corners of the walls, going in and out of the open drawers; The bed, with green covers, silk cloth pillows; And a cracked circular mirror, missing a piece. A silver plate with a porcelain tea cup filled with tea was by a wooden chest. Paul has never known that kind of luxury in his life so he had only one conclusion: He was in the castle where Belle had been locked up.

-Where are my clothes, damn it! – He says.

- **Dunno.** – Vincent provided unnecessarily.

-Do you have to have an answer for all the questions you´re asked? – Paul groans.

- **Sorry, ol` habit of mine. And am I one to blame?** – Vincent questions still in the bed.

-Who else? – Paul is losing his temper.

- **You, jackass. I´ve been stuck with ya since you were born, no, REBORN! It´s only normal that some of them daily lessons slipped into me person.** – Vincent explains.

-Oh yes? – Paul spits coldly. – And do you know why that happened?

- **Enlighten me.** – Vincent dares, sitting up.

-Because YOU did something horrible to anger those demons. You came from Hell and they´re here to bring you back!

Vincent smiles a little.

-You angered God and he imprisoned you in someone´s head as a punishment!

Vincent´s smile grows.

-You killed your family and they cursed you to walk the Earth as a ghost!

Vincent´s smile was growing, but it dies in a second, turning into a hateful look. Without warning he gets up and launches himself towards Paul, his hands locking with his neck and his legs curled and pressing Paul´s waist. He screams in rage and delivers right and left hooks to Paul non-stop. Vincent stops to recover briefly and catch his breath and keeps going. It´s not long before he gets exhausted and rolls to the side, staring at the ceiling.

Paul is in a terrible state with bruises all over the face, a swollen left eye, the broken nose twisted and leaking blood from the mouth. They stay the way they are, either moaning in pain or catching their breaths.

-The last one? – Paul inquires, eyeing Vincent carefully with his swollen eye.

- **Uh-huh. The worst things I did in my life.** – Vincent sobs.

More silence.

- **You want to know why I´m stuck with you?** – Vincent steadied his sobs and asks, the pirate accent disappearing.

-Be my guest.

- **Because** **you´re my brother.**

Paul´s useful eye widens and looks at Vincent. Vincent looks at him too, his white pupils wet and tears rolling down the face.

-But then…

- **Why did I kill you? How come we have the same age if I´m older than you? Who are you in fact, why did Jessica, our mother, and Pa die?**

Paul nods.

- **Ok.** – Vincent inhales and exhales. – **I was 14 years old, a teenager** **born in 1969 in North Caroline to Jessica Roy-Palomer and Adrian Palomer. Pa said they were happy, but I never actually believed that.**

 **-** But wait, 1969? – Paul interrupts incredulously. – That´s impossible!

- **And you´re stuck with your brother, who lives in your head and stalked by, under your terms, "demons", who want my head and yours if it comes to it. What else is impossible?**

That shuts Paul up.

- **Heh.** **Anyways, Jessica, the name I give her `cause I never knew her well enough for that, had a compassionating attitude and once she attempted to help a poor homeless man. I had some money with me and I gave it to her for that. But she was stabbed by the man and died in the spot. Pa was strong but when she died he was left broken.**

 **»He couldn´t get over that day and that had consequences in his life: He was an expert with computers** – Paul was to interrupt his tale to know about computers but Vincent shushed him with a look. - **and he fixed them for living, but he got lazy and was fired. He applied for several jobs, got rejected over and over again, until one day he finally found one: a security guard, for the opening of the new pizzeria named Fredbear´s Family Dinner. Low pay but just the necessary amount of cash for us.**

 **»Life was good for a long time: Free pizza, we got to enter there for free, we made friends with the staff and the kids who made the parties… Until one day Pa gets a letter. A little girl had been murdered and stuffed in a spring lock suit. A suit for both the animatronics and the persons to wear. As a result, the Dinner would close for investigation and then move of location to another place far away from ours. Meaningless to say that Pa was left jobless because we couldn´t move out.**

 **»The Dinner took a really long time to find a building suited for the reopening. When they did, the money was not high enough for that, so they proposed adjoining the company to another one. But no one wanted to associate with a company whose story was tainted with a girl´s murder. Pa talked to a former colleague, who had gained a considerable amount of money and wanted to open a new business, and he agreed to buy the company and reopen in the same location.**

 **»Pa was rehired as the security guard, the company was renamed Freddy Fazbear´s Pizza and stability returned. Little by little our life got better. And, as if God decided to drop his shit on us, Pa had an accident and got his brain punctured. Because of you!**

Paul gasps at that.

-Why?

- **If I told you, you´d laugh your socks off.** – Vincent sighed.

-My father lost a part of his brain because of me. That´s not something to laugh at! – Paul protests, slamming a fist on the floor.

Vincent studied him for a while and then said:

- **It was a swordfish.**

Paul felt like a weight dropped in his stomach. His heart was somehow carving a smile inwardly but his brain reminded him that the accident was more important. So he keeps quiet and disguises the snorts as gasps.

- **One afternoon the fish, hanging in the wall opposite to the show stage, fell and, if you hadn´t been too slow to avoid it, Pa wouldn't have pushed you and get… You know.**

 **»The man had a surgery and miraculously lived, yet he became violent, psychotic, evil. He´d lose his sanity sometimes and by chance, one day, he had one of those moments and I discovered he had been the one who killed the girl. It added up. He was a security guard, he could access every room of the building, had the keys to the storage room. And, even if he got blamed for letting it happen, it was outside the pizzeria, where he had no business being.**

 **»"** _ **She was a spoiled nuisance. Kept ordering me around like I´m her slave, give her that toy or else... She had to go!"**_ **, he justified.**

 **»Despite that I still loved him. And we shared something else: hatred towards you. You grew up and turned into a scared kid. Shy, crying baby, and scared of the pizzeria. Especially Fredbear, a golden version of Freddy. We´d mock you, using cosplay masks of Foxy we took as souvenirs and scaring you every time. You´d fall and cry, curled in a ball. Ridiculous! Nothing like Jessica.**

 **»In some week in 1983, in some anniversary of some kid, you came with us to the pizzeria. You had no place there, I only had to watch you while Pa did his job. Me and some friends made fun of you, sitting on your knees and whimpering for Jessica. So we decided to do a prank: We´d put you inside Fredbear´s mouth.**

 **»Nothing was wrong with that. You cried as we inserted your head inside Fredbear´s mouth and we laughed. Then Fredbear closed his mouth and crushed your brain. Chaos ran wild that day, the ambulance came but you died the next day missing** **half of your brain.**

 **»And ever since then, my life crumbled. Pa kicked me out of the house and drank his way to death, I took his job when I got old enough to work in the pizzeria and then…** \- Vincent inhaled. – **I died.**

-What happened? Does it have anything to do with the demons? – Paul was at the verge of tears.

- **Ahem. I was 18 by the time five more kids died. Kids I knew since they were born: Carlos, Charlotte, Brad and Francis. The girl was the daughter of Pa´s colleague and the boys the sons of three business associates. Believe it or not, their souls latched on the** **suits and possessed them. They had been killed one by one by someone impersonating a security guard, the position I had along with two others.**

 **»Back then there were two sets of animatronics: The versions you saw earlier tonight and the Toy variety, doll-like animatronics that were put to use when a second pizzeria opened, while the others were locked in a storage room to decay. At the beginning it was nothing. My junior colleague, Jeremy Fitzgerald, who called me "Phone Guy" instead of my name, then began his night shift and noticed the animatronics behaving increasingly more aggressive towards him. No, not just him. All the adults too. They hung around with the kids real fine but when an adult passed by they´d get more… aggressive. And one day, a "built-it-yourself" animatronic called Mangle crawled to the ceiling undetected and bit Jeremy´s head. He lost the frontal lobe, like Pa.**

 **»The Toy animatronics were dismantled, the old ones repaired with the spare parts, the pizzeria closed too and the incident became known in the neighborhoods as "The Bite of 87".**

 **»I never saw him again. Fritz Smith, his successor as a junior colleague, tried to last but was later found inside the box of another animatronic. One I hated: The Puppet. A tall white stripped black figure, with a mask with tear marks and a smile for face. Fritz was inside, beaten and faceless and the animatronic covered in blood, using Fritz´s face to cover his own.**

 **»Damn authorities never made the connection but I knew. I JUST KNEW! So I gave it payback. I took the night shifts and on the first day, after 6 am, I took the box to my house, grabbed a fire axe and ripped it apart. Limb by LIMB! BUTTON TO BUTTON!**

 **»I thought I was free. But I wasn´t. The animatronics kept haunting me. And two weeks later, in 1993, on the 12** **th** **day of the shift I got a surprise. They all came for me at the same time and I had to hide. I went to a sealed room, known only by those who worked there in the days of the first pizzeria and hid inside a spring suit of Bonnie. But the room was rotten and the ceiling leaked with water that moistened the locks and... Tore me apart. Payback is a bitch they say. The rest you know.**

Paul had listened as quietly as he could. Now, with the story over, he let out his emotions by weeping in sadness. He buries his hands in his face and cries, sobs and hiccups… He hears Vincent get up and head to the door, opening it and closing it. Paul is left alone to swallow the horrible truth about him.

-Monsieur, was that all true? – A kid´s voice sounds in front of him.

Paul shoots up and looks frantically around in the room for the kid. He sniffs, clears the tears of his faceand asks:

-Where are you?

Paul checks under the bed.

-In the silver plate, Monsieur. – The kid indicates.

Paul doesn´t find it convincing. But he thinks that maybe a cup of tea would do him wonders, so he takes the cup in his right hand and brings it to his lips.

-Monsieur, that tickles!

Paul stops drinking the tea and stares at the cup in interest. Hesitating for a second grants him the reward of seeing an eye pop in existence that watches him, then a second one and then a mouth that laughs.

Paul does nothing first. Then he puts down the cup gently. Then…

* * *

Belle is going up the stairs when…

-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

* * *

-Stay back! – Paul screams, tripping on his feet and crawling away.

-But Monsieur…

-Don´t talk!

The door of the room swings open and in enters Belle.

-What´s wrong, Paul? – She asks, kneeling to stare at him. – Oh my god, what happened to you?

Belle uses a towel in her hands to clean the blood from Paul´s nose.

-The-the-the cup spoke! How is that possible?! – Paul exclaims.

-Oh, you mean Chip? Don´t worry, he won´t hurt you. – Belle sighs and chuckles, but still focused on fixing Paul.

-So… you know it? – Paul asks shifting position to sit on his knees.

-Him, Paul. Chip is a him. And yes, he´s the son of Miss Potts. – Belle smiles, getting up and extending a hand to Paul.

He takes the offered hand and gives her a hug.

-I´m so glad you´re safe. – He says. – And um… apologies, Chip. – He adds, looking over Belle´s shoulder to Chip.

-I´m used to it, Monsieur Paul. – Chip brightened up.

-Call me Paul. – Paul asked.

-So Papa got to the town safely? How was he? – Belle asks concerned.

-Freaked out, for the lack of a better term. He tried to ask for help in the tavern but only I listened. I went looking for you and found you. – Paul was intending to keep on talking but stops. The episode in the forest was already bad enough without describing it.

-So he´s safe thank god. – Belle said, a tad heavy.

Did the episode in the forest weight on her too? Paul leads her to the bed where the two sit down and he looks to the cup:

-Chip, was it?

-Yes, Monsieur?

-Give Belle some tea, please.

The cup nodded and hops carefully to their side. There Paul took Chip from the handle and offered him to Belle, who took it gratefully and drank the tea. Chip laughed.

-Are you better, Belle? – The little cup asks.

-Not quite, but I will be soon. – She sets him down on her side and turns to Paul. – Paul, I think you know something that you should tell me.

-Yes, indeed. It´s like a really long story. – Paul massages his jaw.

-We have time and will for that. – She says, though not the response he was expecting.

And so Paul tells her the whole story.

* * *

A night passed and the morning came to Paul sometime after 11 am. He got out of the bed, put on his washed clothes, courtesy of the staff he had to meet, tied his hair in the typical ponytail and, making sure he didn´t forget a thing, leaves to head down to the kitchen, his mind going back to last night.

Belle had been convinced of what Paul told her in a short hour, the package of the past two days events In Paul´s perspective and the story Vincent had told him. She had laughed, questioned, gasped, widened her eyes and hugged him for the whole time. Paul could have told her a more matter-of-fact version of the stories but the presence of Chip, whom Paul learned mid-story telling he was a kid, warned him not to. The other staff had come to the room too, alarmed by the visitor´s room´s screams, and Paul had got a bigger surprise there. Presentations were done and he had struck friendship with them all: Lumiere, Cogsworth, Miss Potts, Footstool… Save for the castle´s master, he met everyone. They gave him the background of the castle and it´s occupants` curse and told him the rules, one of them being not entering the west hall. A rule that, strangely, Belle reinforced when he had asked why.

Now, more refreshed and rested, Paul enters the kitchen after taking the indicated directions and finds it full of activity, with a handful of cooks (well, in the form of table and cooking tools) working. He asks for a quick breakfast and they deliver him a piece of bread with butter, which he devours in a few bites.

Next he takes a walk to know the castle, visiting almost all the rooms of the castle. At one time he ran into Belle again, who was in warm violet and pink winter clothes and heading outside to play in the snow, and went with her.

The storm had been gone for a long time and replaced with a cloudless blue sky. The backyard, where Paul and Belle had gone to, was a vast space covered in snow to be used at the disposal of the passing person.

-Better than this, only in a snow paradise. – Paul whistles.

-It´s beautiful. Hey Paul? – Belle calls him.

Paul "hums" and gets a snowball in the face.

-Ohohohoho… So THAT´S how it´s going to be? – Paul spits the snow closer to his lips and laughs.

He dodges another snowball and takes snow in his hands, which he molds into a ball. He throws the snowball and it flies and gets Belle in the skirt, the latter already running off and making more snowballs. A fight issues in the backyard that gets the two friends covered in snow from feet to head and when that happens, they call it a tie. Belle entertained herself afterwards making snow angels and Paul a snowman, which he tries to make it look like known people in the town.

The one that both found more funny was one which Paul took great care to build. When the torso was done, Paul fetched two sticks that would resemble curved arms and placed one to be inside an imaginary nose and another to scratch the head like a monkey. Belle assisted in finding a nose, a pointy rock, and next they picked up fallen leaves that would look darker and inserted them in the snowman´s scalp. A few more adjustments and add-ups and the snowman was finished.

-Bet you can´t guess who that is. – Paul challenges sitting in the snow.

Belle narrowed her eyes in concentration for a while and shakes her head.

-It´s Gaston. – Paul fakes an insulted expression, crossing his arms and legs and making annoyed noises.

Belle looks at the snowman again and, finally seeing the similarities, she laughs.

- **That´s supposed to be Gaston?** – An amused Vincent asks next to the snowman. – **Lad, if ye wanted to build a kraken, ye did it.**

Paul snorts at the comparison and makes a snowball that he hurls at Vincent, hitting him in the chest.

- **Jackass!** – Vincent complains.

He takes the snowman´s head and launches it to a caught-off-guard Paul, burying his head in snow and leaves.

-Paul? – Belle asks, removing the snow from his face.

Paul has an expression she had never seen before: One that said " _You´re so screwed when I get you"_.

-You want some too? Bring it on! – He says.

It was round 2 for the snowball fight, Paul and Vincent facing each other, with neither of them giving in until Paul´s hunger came knocking at the door. Belle had also joined the fight for a moment, teaming up with Paul to beat Vincent. Considering his invisible form was covered in snow, the aims were correctly placed every time.

- **You two are quite the team.** – Vincent compliments, cleaning the snow off him.

-Appreciated. – Paul thanks him.

-What is Vincent saying? – Belle asks. – And you have snow in your back.

-Thank you. He was saying that we make a good team. – Paul tells her.

-Oh, thank you Vincent. – She says but turning to where Vincent wasn´t.

- **I´m here, meat for brains.** – Vincent touches her shoulder twice.

-He´s behind you Belle. – Paul gives in to chuckling.

-Oh, sorry. Thank you. – Belle apologizes and repeats.

- **Ye´re welcome.** – With that said, they head back inside.

* * *

-So where is your master? –Paul questions as he looks inside the library he was sent to.

-He will be with you shortly Monsieur, fret not. – Cogsworth informs in a cordial tone. – Now, may I suggest you have a look around?

Paul nods and studies the library. It was rows and rows of books, some copies of precious stories from famous writers and philosophers, others encyclopedias of a variety of subjects, in bookshelves of two meters of height or more that extended to the end of the room. Paul walks around the library, seeing the books, a sense of amazement and fascination compelling him to read them until he wouldn´t want more. Something impossible.

-How old is this library? – Paul asks, climbing a ladder to see the books in the upper shelves.

-The library is over a hundred years old, built to serve as means of education of our Master, his father and his grandfather. Like the castle, it was built in 1669, and it holds those times most valuable copies of books and encyclopedias. No other library can match the Master´s library. – Cogsworth explains meticulously, with a hint of pride.

-Adam, huh? You seem to work here for quite some time, Monsieur Cogsworth, am I right? – Paul deduces as he ran his fingers on the spine of a book about Mathematics.

-Correct, Monsieur. Along with Lumiere and Miss Potts. – Cogsworth confirmed.

The doors opens and Cogsworth salutes his master with a cordial bow. Paul climbs down and faces the master, his rescuer of the night before.

" _I was not hallucinating. He is a beast."_ , Paul fails not to look shocked.

Beast dismisses Cogsworth and closes the door when he left. He stares at Paul, who does the same but walking towards him.

-You´re Beast, I presume? – Paul asks.

-Yes. – Beast says somewhat resented, in a mixture of a growl and normal talking.

Paul raises an arm and holds it for Beast to shake it, the latter doing so hesitantly.

-Thank you for saving me and my sister and… my brother. – Paul thanks.

-Your brother? – Beast asks walking past him.

-He is in my head. It´s complicated. But what is it that you want to talk about? – Paul inquires.

There is silence for a moment.

-First of all know this: You are only here because Belle begged me to keep you with her, or I would have left you outside when I could. – Beast clarifies. – And since you will stay here, you cannot leave to the outside or enter the west hall. Are we clear?

-Yes, Monsieur. – Paul nods. – May I?

Beast waves uncaring as a "yes" and Paul sits in a chair.

-Now, I called you here… I summoned you because I… - Beast hesitates, as if his pride would crumble because of the request.

And to make things worst…

- **GET ON WITH IT!**

Beast growls at the presence sitting in the table in front of Paul.

-Who are you? – He demands.

- **Yer momma´s lover.** – Vincent insults, slapping his fingers loudly. – **OOOH SHNAP!**

Beast showed his sharp teeth and furrowed his eyebrows.

- **Now, now, before we start killin` each other, I want ta toast to our host, the long lost sibiling of Adam Levine, for gettin` us away from the traumatized band of animatronics. May ye be forever ugly, cocksucker!** – Vincent insults even more, raising an invisible glass and drinking it.

Paul had the good sense of getting away from Vincent, since seconds later Beast leapt at Vincent, clawing at him. Vincent remained unfazed and, somehow, became intangible, making Beast fall without a prey in his hands.

-LEAVE MY CASTLE! – He growls, leaping again.

- **If me brother´s here, I canna leave, mate. BTW, do something about yer breath. Yer killin`me, for Jaysus` sake. –** Vincent didn´t take the threat seriously.

The insults continued on and on, until Beast had grown furious to the point he lifted the table and Vincent fell off, not expecting that to happen. Beast swings the table upwards and leans to smash it on Vincent.

-YOU TWO STOP AND SHUT THE FUCK UP! – Paul yells, fed up with it.

The two halt and look at Paul.

-Vincent, my patience is getting. Really. Thin. I´m this close to throw you out myself you hear me?! – Paul shows his fingers to Vincent to make a point. - So unless you want to go back out to the woods and face the demons alone, you will change your attitude. CLEAR?

»And you Beast, I´ve been told about the curse that got you like that. Now I see why it was on you. You are unwelcoming, rude, a dickhead as Vincent would say, and worst of all you dragged your servants, who had to put up with you for so many years, into your mess. – Beast staggers back at the stone cold truth. – So, if you really want to find someone who can love you, you have to undergo a real change. And don´t you fuck with me by denying it!

Paul pants loudly, registering what he had said and becoming surprised. Adam puts the table down slowly, not averting his eye´s from Paul, and, to Vincent´s surprise, offers him a hand.

- **I never thought ye had that in ye, Paul. And maybe ye´re right. I´ll try, mate.** – Vincent says, dematerializing.

Paul doesn´t give an answer, his only concern being Beast pouncing at him.

-You´re right, yes. – Beast acknowledges the facts. – I´ve been rude my entire life, not caring for others. And when that witch came disguised as an old lady, I got what I deserved.

Adam sits in the carpet, studying the floor like it could hold an answer to his damnation.

-And the others: Miss Potts, Lumiere, Cogsworth… they put up with me for the last ten years and I never considered them as much as friends. And now, when we see someone else after ten years, I treated them rudely, scared Belle´s father. Belle… She took care of me while you and I were unconscious. How can she? – Beast asks Paul directly.

-It´s who she is. She is kind and gentle, cleverer than what most people gather. I think I´m lucky enough to be her sister. – Paul says sitting in the same chair again. Then he makes the connection. – Is that why you want to see me?

-Yes. - Beast admits, sighing and rubbing his head. - I want to give Belle a gift to thank her for staying with us. But I´ve never been good at talking to women and I´m afraid I´ll embarrass myself. Cogsworth suggested chocolates, necklaces, roses but Lumiere told me to give her access to this library. I wanted to hear what you suggest.

Paul studies Beast with a critical eye, evaluating the outcomes and the course of action to take.

" _They could get along if he tried"_ , Paul has to conclude in his mind.

-Belle would definitely love to be in here. She is a natural book lover, more than me. – Paul agrees with a smile. – I´ll tell her to come see you and you can offer her the library, what do you say?

Beast´s answer was not unexpected or different of what Paul had wanted. They leave the library shortly after with Beast asking one final question:

-What´s it like to have a sister?

-It´s like having the certainty that you won´t face the world alone. You have someone to care about and be cared of, no matter the outcome of your decisions. Belle is a rare case in the town where we come from: she loves books, she´s smarter than most of men and the funniest of all is that she is the only girl who refuses the advances of Gaston. – Paul recalls the incident from the day before with a big smile.

-Gaston? – Beast asks.

-A hunter and the most respected and idolatrized man of the town. All the girls want a piece of him but Belle looks past his muscles and pretty face and politely rejects him. But he keeps trying regardless. Last time he organized a wedding at our doorstep, the whole village was invited, and Gaston intended for Belle to accept and marry him.

»But Vincent, bless him, did some mind-controlling trick on him and he mocked him by making Gaston repeat his gestures and words. He called off the wedding, forced Gaston to apologize to Belle and even made him dive to the mud pools of the pigs.

Beast broke down in laughter, accompanied by Paul, the latter however laughing more silently.

-But… do I stand a chance with her? – Beast asks shyly, looking outside from a window.

By chance, they see Belle having fun with Footstool on the snow.

-If you can be less Beast and more Human, you´ll get there. I guarantee it. – Paul assures. – Now come on, you have to impress my sister.

Beast gratefully followed Paul in search of Belle.


	5. A lovely night

_**Note: The story will take on my view of the events as canonical as possible. If anyone reading this detects a flaw that can be corrected, address me and I´ll see what I can do.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own FNAF or Beauty and the Beast**_

* * *

 _ **28th of November, 1790**_

 _I´m really excited to see how this evening will play out._

 _Belle and Beast are having the night dedicated to themselves, and the others and I have been preparing the castle for the occasion. I´ve helped where I could, just not the kitchen because my cooking isn´t famous. Over the last few days I have been adjusting to the life in the castle and I have been doing fine. I´m friends with everyone and even though they see me hanging around with Vincent, they like me. Miss Potts and her son and the ones I´m closer to but every time I hang out with Vincent I need to keep away from them. I can´t blame Miss Potts for wanting to protect her son from his personality._

 _About Vincent I don´t know what to say. Turns out he is my brother, born in 1969, and sent to the past because he accidentally killed me and my parents in different moments and indirectly. I´ve forgiven him for that and he seems to be relieved for that. It also raises the fact that I´m from the future and I couldn´t be more amazed by that. He´s become a bit more cheerful and nicer, he has ceased commenting Belle´s beauty and doesn´t tease me anymore. But he does that because his new target is Beast._

 _Beast is the prince of this castle, cursed as a kid by a witch to repent for his bad attitudes and selfishness, like all his staff, which to me is unfair. They had nothing to do with his behavior. Anyway, the only way to break the spell is to find someone who loves him and he can love back. I spend every day missing some obvious things, but as to the solution to this curse I´m no blind man._

 _Beast has fallen in love with Belle and Belle is not so far behind. It became clear when he came to ask me about what Belle would love as a gift. Even though Vincent made fun of the situation and Beast chased him, I pointed him to the correct direction. She was marveled by the library he allowed her to enter. To this point, they gradually grew closer and closer, with Belle teaching him how to be kind-hearted, patient and fun._

 _At first I misjudged the Beast for his appearance and reserved nature but now…_

 _I´m happy for them._

 _So this night has to be perfect. I already arranged for me to play music in the piano. Let´s hope my musical education is worth it._

Paul closes the pocket-book and stretches.

-Now for the night. – He says.

He heads over to his bed and takes hold of the paper wrapped package on the pillow. On a note in the back it was written in a sloppy way " _For the night and thank you"_. Unwrapping the package, Paul whistles twice and admires the suit for the night: A blue coat of fine cloth with yellow stripes on the area where the buttons were buttoned, an interior cotton purple shirt, black pants and fine shoes. He switches his winter clothes for the suit and admires himself on the mirror. He looked like a noble.

He keeps the hair in the same ponytail, he decides. It was the way the nobles kept themselves presentable, so had Maurice said, when he, Paul and Belle would pretend being nobles in their younger years. Paul always said he´d be the king, Belle her queen and Maurice the most trusted advisor, who would help them become fine monarchs and attend their kingdom: Giving bath to the subjects (the birds), fighting the evil kings (the other kids) and travelling through the lands and be blessed by the people (the house and the toys).

" _Seems like fantasies do come true",_ he thought with a well-motivated laugh.

 _KNOCK KNOCK_

-Um, Paul?

-Yes? Belle! – Paul says and turns to see Belle peeking into the room, only her head visible.

-Please, keep it down. – Belle asks rapidly, blushing.

-Sorry. Why don´t you come in? – Paul invites her, indicating the chair next to the door.

Belle does so and Paul feels like that annual dream he has every single one of his anniversaries had come to reality: Belle had a golden dress, tied on her back by a corset underneath the dress, leaving her shoulders bare, long golden gloves of the same color that went up to the elbows and her brown hair arranged in a hairstyle that Belle had never used before.

-Ho-ly Christ. My God, you are tremendously beautiful. – Paul looked her up and down and around her.

Belle´s blush got redder.

-Thank you. You don´t look bad yourself too. – Belle compliments too modestly.

Paul´s eyes shined brightly.

-Appreciated milady. – Paul thanks with a bow. – This reminds me of the times when we played king and queen with Maurice.

-So it does to me. I guess we never thought we´d get like this. I feel like a little girl after so long. – Belle says, playing with her hands.

-You ARE a little girl, just smarter than the rest. – Paul teased, earning a slight push in the arm.

" **Nice one, Paul** _ **"**_ , Vincent praised his brother by the door.

Paul did him a two fingers salute.

-Wait, is it Vincent? – Belle questions with an eyebrow cocked.

-Uhum. He agrees with me about you being beautiful. – Paul confirms.

-Oh. – Was all Belle´s voice projected.

Paul caught on the meaning.

-He´s not what he was all those days ago. Don´t worry. – Paul tries to comfort her. – Besides, if he wants to piss someone off, it will be Beast.

\- **Been there, done that.** – Vincent informs as he cracked his neck.

-He says he´s done that already. – Paul tells her.

-… I trust your word, Paul. – She relaxed after some time. – But I´m not here to talk about us or Vincent. It´s about Beast.

Paul nods and leads her to the window, further away from Vincent who says or does nothing. Paul trusted him, but not his gossiping personality.

-Nervous much? – Paul tries to guess putting his back against the window.

-Yes. I´ve never been like this in a long time and I´m afraid I will make a mistake tonight. – Belle admits depressingly.

-Belle it´s you we´re are talking about. You don´t back out no matter how impossible or heavy the task. Have you forgotten I will be there as well? If you feel like you´re getting too troubled, come to me and I´ll think of something. – Paul rolled his eyes.

- **Tell the lass Beast is freakin` out too. It´s a fact.** – Vincent tries to help.

" _Should have checked if he could hear us.",_ Paul mentally facepalms but raises a thumb as a sign of understanding.

-And I have reasons to believe you are not the only one losing your wits. – Paul supplies.

Belle was staring at Paul´s shoes but looks up at Beast´s mentioning.

-Beast? I´m not sure. – Belle´s tone lightens up. That´s good.

-You are having dinner and spending the night with a good man and he will spend it in the company of a good friend and a pretty woman. – Paul reassures her.

" _Did I just indirectly told her he has feelings for her?_ ", Paul questions himself when he realized what he had said.

Belle was blushing madly now.

" _Crap, I did",_ Paul regrets his choice of words.

-Listen, what I´m trying to tell you is that both of you are nervous but that that will go away. And if you need to let out your emotions, I will be there. – Paul reformulated his message, adding his left hand rubbing her right arm for security.

Belle smiles.

-I know you will. Thank you for the kind words. – She thanked giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

She leaves the room more confident than minutes ago under the watch of her pseudo-brother and his biological brother.

- **Hey, where in Davy Jones` locker is me thank you? Ahoy?** – Vincent asks pointing to himself.

Paul chuckles and makes a few adjustments on his sleeves. And then he notices the black mist floating around the castle by the moonlight and landing on the outside of the gates. It was just Freddy, this time with a serious mood, staring at Paul, the latter tensing up.

-Vincent?

- **What Paul?**

-Freddy´s outside.

Vincent almost jumps in surprise. He gets a hold of his courage and walks past Paul to see the dark animatronic shaking madly at Vincent´s sight.

- **Crap, we gotta SCRAM!** – Vincent loses his composure and runs like a madman out of the room.

-VINCENT! – Paul calls out.

He chases him through the castle, walking past most of the staff including Chip, that had stood his distance when Vincent came tumbling down the stairs. Just where he was now.

- **If we don´t leave, they´ll kill me and everyone! –** Vincent shouts, gripping his injured right arm.

-I know. – Paul sighs and plays with his hands. -That´s why I want to ask you a favor.

Vincent narrows his eyes questioningly and then widens it when he gets an idea of what´s coming.

- **No, no, I don`t care if this is their night, I ain´t gettin` me dick ripped off and raped by a huge machine.** – Vincent shakes his head.

-What´s raped? – Chip hops down the stairs.

-Not now, Chip. Go be with your mother please. – Paul refuses to say, getting pale from the question.

Chip obeys. Paul waited until Chip was out of sight and a bit more until he was out of hearing range.

-Vincent, please. They need this night, they love each other, they only need this push for that. – Paul pleaded with his hands together.

- **I go out there, I´m chopped to pieces at sight!** – The brother yells so loud a passing servant glanced at them reprehensively.

-Not if you leave without him seeing you. Look, in the backyard garden there is a tree more or less bent to the direction of the wall. Climb it, go around the castle, put some distance and get him away from here. – Paul devises the plan tracing his fingers on the floor for Vincent to see.

- **Is good and all but I hurt me foot as well. I canna climb the tree. Run, with some luck, but nothing else.** – Vincent objects to the plan.

-I´ll boost you up. – Paul immediately proposes.

- **And if I want to return?** – Vincent asks more convinced. He makes an effort to stand up.

-When the moon´s above the highest tower, I will open the gate for you to come in. – Paul thought and decided.

He helped Vincent up and they head to the backyard, Vincent limping and cursing Paul under his breath.

* * *

Paul is panting when he arrives back at the staircase to wait for Belle and Adam to come down to dinner. He had learned how much Vincent needed to lose some pounds by helping him climb the tree and since he had heard Vincent mocking Freddy, he´d have his fingers crossed all night.

Something nudges his legs and he sees Footstool, the dog, barking at his feet.

-You ready to see them, boy? – Paul asks ruffling his head.

Some barks come out as the answer.

-Well, behold. – Paul told him, lifting him up to see Belle standing on top of the stairs.

She exchanges a quick glance to Paul who indicates where Beast had just walked in for her to see. Beast is on the opposite side of Belle, still up there and looking like Belle: nervous. He had the same blue coat as Paul, the same pants but an interior white shirt, all of them several sizes bigger than Paul´s. He had arranged his hair so it would be fall over his back and tied in a ponytail like Paul.

He exchanges a look with Lumiere for security, clears his throat and heads down the stairs at the same time as Belle. They meet by the second staircase, smile fondly to each other and bow to each other. Beast offers an arm, which Belle takes, and both head down, never averting each other´s gaze. Paul takes the opportunity to whisper something to Footstool and place an object in his back.

The two of them have dinner, with some of the staff playing violins to fill the kitchen with fine accords that Paul, who had decided to stand by the doorway, never thought he would hear. Wishing to be a part of the night by doing more than just observing, he helped serving the dishes and then retreated to the great salon where he would soon be playing. In one occasion he enters the kitchen again and when he did, Belle left her seat, excusing herself beforehand, and approached Paul, the latter looking at Beast, who was more confused as Paul.

Belle had Paul follow her to outside of the kitchen and near the staircase.

-Are you not enjoying dinner? – Paul asks her.

-I am, the meals are superb and the music is wonderful. It´s just that I´m getting nervous again. – Belle explains. – I thought about what you said and I came to you.

Paul looked at her hard for a moment. Then, snapping his fingers, Footstool makes his way to the pair. On his back was a necklace of the same color as Belle´s dress.

-Maurice told me that, when he found me, he had discovered this necklace beneath my sleeping figure. Like most parents who leave their kids with an object of great importance with them, my parents left me with the necklace you see here. – Paul crouches and retrieves the necklace. – I was fourteen when I was cleaning Maurice´s workshop and came by this. Maurice told me it´s origin and let me keep it, to remind me that regardless of where we are, our parents do care for us.

The right hand on the golden circle with a green emerald, he gives in to the nostalgia. Realizing some time later that he had drifted off, he takes the necklace´s chain and puts it over Belle´s head and down on her neck.

-This is to remember that no matter how you may feel now and in other times to come, I will always support you and be there with you. – Paul tells Belle.

Belle smiles, showing her white teeth, and gives Paul a hug. Paul returns the hug and kisses her hair.

-Go on, let´s not keep Beast more distressed than what he might be by now. – Paul hurries her.

She breaks the hug and hurries back to the kitchen.

" _I don´t think she´ll need my advices for the remainder of tonight.",_ Paul theorized. " _Besides I´ve run out of plans."_

He heads back to the salon to get himself ready to play but then he hears children.

Paul gets goose flesh as he stops walking. The laughter cracks his mind open and, to describe the sensation, it melted, covering his vision with light. The vision clears and Paul finds himself in a completely different place: The golden walls had melted to form steel walls, creating a corridor; the floor was still of the same black and white tiles but they were dirty with liquid and half-eaten food, entirely contrasting the palace´s clean floor.

Paul takes a step to the left and touches the walls. They are real, cold to the touch and with party decorations and posters of… of…

Paul gulps down an exclamation. Of doll-like versions of Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy with no darkness surrounding them and not looking remotely like the terrors that haunted him nights ago. On the contrary, they seemed inviting, with the words "EAT!", "PARTY!" and "PLAY!" in giant letters below or above their faces.

" _The Toy versions!"_ , Paul concludes.

In a second he is staring at the posters and hearing footsteps in his direction, in the next he´s the source of the footsteps.

-Vincy!

Paul feels his mind jolt awake. Vincent was back already? No, no he wasn´t, Paul noticed as he looked to the left and the right. On the right was a girl of blonde hair, with freckles on her face, wearing a yellow T-shirt and an orange skirt, eating a cupcake.

Paul walks to her as if Paul intended to do it. Thing is, Paul had no intention of moving closer to her. A smile is forced on his face.

-What is it, lass? – He asks.

-When is Freddy coming? – The girl asks, pouting.

-He´ll be right there. Call yer friends and I´ll call `im. – Paul/Vincent answers.

The girl cheers and runs to a room not far from there.

Paul/Vincent retreats to a room labeled Storage Room, a square room with ropes sticking out of the walls that was dark. He turns a flashlight on ( _"What is this thing?",_ Paul wondered in awe) and uses the beam of light to search for God knows what. The beam moves from table to table, finding masks and endoskeletons not fit for use, and sees the master´s desired prize: A withered suit of a golden rabbit sitting with the head leaned on to his left shoulder, in a dark corner.

Paul/Vincent points the flashlight upwards and to behind him and sees a video camera that wasn´t working (" _And what is that?"_ , Paul wondered once more). Paul/Vincent grins.

Crouching to the face the suit, he twists the waist and dislodges it from the rest of the body, and then he dislodges the legs and dresses the three parts up. He feels the locks in his legs but, as long as he is careful and not hasty, he knows he won´t be in any danger. He moves on to the arms, repeating the procedure, then the chest and then the face. The locks are so close to his ribs, limbs and eyes that, if he was a beginner, he´d be freaking out.

The suit on, he takes some steps and waves his arms to make sure the locks were not faulty, and walks out of the room, his footsteps sounding in the corridor. Some sounds in the background are echoed in the walls, his legs tighten there and now, but he pays no mind to them. He hides from sight by a corner and tightens his vocal cords.

-Hello kids! – He calls out, the voice muffled by the mask, sounding as close as possible to Freddy.

– FREDDY! – The children cheer.

-I can´t wait to join you and have the best party you have ever had but I need my best friend to play a bit for me. Please, Buzz, would you play for me?

-Why, yes, my friend. Anything for you! – Paul/Vincent`s voice changes to a hoarse.

He steps into the light and comes into view of five children, three boys and the girl from before, looking quizzically to the new animatronic.

… _**he medic!**_

-Ah you must be Brad, Charlotte, Carlos and Francis. Vincent and the band can´t stop talking about you four. – Paul/Vincent says acting as if unknown of their identities.

-They do? – Carlos says happily.

-Oh yes! You are their favorite honorary members, the best of the best! – Paul/Vincent goes along with act.

Charlotte squeals so loud Paul/Vincent nearly triggers the locks on.

-Did you hear? We are their favorite! – She yells.

-I know! – Francis says more controlled than her.

Only Brad stayed silent.

… _ **at is wr…**_

-You my dear fellow, you´re not the silent type, are you? – Paul/Vincent asks, walking to him.

Brad still says nothing, turning his face away.

-Let´s fix that detail, shall we? – Paul/Vincent offers. - Do you have a piano that I can play? – The hoarse comes out more naturally.

The children indicate a piano under a spotlight. Paul/Vincent limps, as the bunny had always done so, climbs to the unused secondary show stage and sits in the black bench in front of the piano. He then concentrates.

-This music here, - he begins to say. – was the first one I learned when I was a kid, that taught me that we all want the happiness of others, and we can do it with love.

-Do you- _**How kin**_ _-_ we can be **-** _ **anks Pau**_ _-_ ou someday? –Brad asked.

-You just have to work hard to find it. Now, let the song charm you… - Paul/Vincent announces.

* * *

 **Music: FNAF 3 Good Ending Theme Extended;**

* * *

Paul had played the piano before, taught by a visiting musician when he had gone to town and when Paul was eleven, but he had never played that music in his life. It was a tone indicating conclusion, as if a burden long carried had finally been lifted from his back and flown away, and played with light dragged notes. Paul/Vincent knows the song like he knows the back of his hand, for the many times he played for the town´s band (" _How do I know the notes to this music?"_ , Paul inquires to himself), taking in with the melody of the music, smiling inside the mask.

All would be well.

He finishes the first half of the music and plays it again time after time. He was already on the sixth repetition, but no one, not even himself, was getting tired of it. But all good things come to an end and he has to end it, both for his own sake and the children´s.

He hears clapping and opens his eyes to greet the children. To his astonishment, he discovers he had returned to the salon. He was sitting in front of a piano, indeed, one of better quality than the one he… played or thought he played? And he did play for people. But they were Beast and Belle, in the middle of the salon, clapping with smiles on, and Miss Potts sitting at his side with a wide smile on.

-Wait how… - Paul tries to make sense of things.

-That was a great melody, Paul! – Beast compliments. - If you were older years ago I would have hired you to play for me.

-You never played that song for me Paul. Where on earth did you hear that? – Belle asks.

The fact that the two were happy after hearing the song eclipses Paul´s doubts, but he will have to talk with Vincent about what he experienced. His waist is tapped on and he looks to see Miss Potts looking at him gently.

-There was one song my mother used to sing when she served the Master´s father in this very castle. – Miss Potts said at Paul´s side. – And one day, my father played it too on the piano. Do you want to play it?

-I´d love to. – Paul smiles. – Where are the sheets?

-They´re named "Beauty and the Beast". – Miss Potts says as Paul turns the pages searching for the music. – That one.

Paul stops to look at the respective notes, cracks his knuckles and plays the piano again. The melody of the piano was followed by violins, played from the door by the orchestra of brooms, adding serenity to the song. She didn´t sing right away, but not long after, Miss Potts sang:

 _Tale as old as time_

 _True as it can be_

 _Barely even friends_

 _Then somebody bends_

 _Unexpectedly_

Belle takes her position and, as opposed to the man leading the dance, because of Beast being more nervous, she takes the initial steps. Beast follows her without complaints.

 _Just a little change_

 _Small to say the least_

 _Both a little scared_

 _Neither one prepared_

 _Beauty and the Beast_

Beast is gaining courage and now keeps up to lead the dance without missing a beat. They spin around the salon.

 _Ever just the same_

 _Ever a surprise_

 _Ever as before and ever just as sure_

 _As the sun will rise_

Chip hop-hops to the seat and is aided by Footstool to go to his mother´s side. Mother and son smile at the two friends in love.

 _Ever just the same_

 _Ever a surprise_

 _Ever as before_

 _Ever just as sure as the sun will rise_

Paul won´t remove his eyes from the piano and the sheets but he so wishes to see his sister and Beast walking closer to their union. His heart almost stops at the thought.

 _Tale as old as time_

 _Tune as old as song_

 _Bitter sweet and strange_

 _Finding you can change_

 _Learning you were wrong_

 _Certain as the sun_

 _Certain as the sun_

 _Rising in the East_

 _Tale as old as time_

 _Tune as old as rhyme_

 _Beauty and the Beast_

The candle`s light was blown away and the room gets darker, with only the night illuminating it. Belle and the Beast dance more slowly, entranced in each other´s eyes.

 _Tale a sold as time_

 _Song as old as rhyme_

 _Beauty and the Beast_

Paul plays the last note. He then takes in the whole song in his mind, remembering the serenity, the love, it´s entire structure. He would never, ever forget the song and the day he did he´d never forgive himself. Miss Potts asks Paul to take her and Chip to the cabinet where they sleep and Paul obliged. Wishing the two good night, Paul retires too but first heads to the main gate of the castle.

* * *

The moon was almost in the castle tower, the cold air was growing but luckily it wasn´t snowing. Paul walked to the gate and waited. When he heard footsteps and looked to see who it was, Paul unlocks the gates and allows Vincent to throw himself to the ground and kiss the snow.

- **OMFG, Ah´ve never been this happy to see this crappy castle.** – He kisses the snow again. – **Ye owe me now, do not forget.**

-Sure I do. The night went along just fine and I think that by tomorrow things will take a step to the better. – Paul smiles, but he recalls a more interesting event of the night. – And Vincent…

- **Aye?** – Vincent says as he walks to Paul and enters his mind.

-The demons… Are their names Brad, Charlotte, Carlos and Francis?

Paul feels like Vincent had tripped in his brain and caused an earthquake inside his skull.

- **`Ow the hell do ye know that?** – Vincent asks perplexed.

-Tonight I… I… - Paul stutters. He stops, breathes and says. – I saw a memory of your time with them.

- **Time? Which one? –** Vincent is trembling in Paul´s head.

-You dressed up as a… golden bunny and played music in a piano for them. A really beautiful one. – Paul summarizes the memory.

He grabs his head suddenly in pain as Vincent loses it and freaks out. It´s a major headache, worst than the hangover´s.

- **Y-yes tha-that was before… before they died. I told `em to wait outside for a moment and when Ah came back to check** **`em they were gone. I looked for them and found `em in the storage room… dead.** – Vincent says, a bit hasty.

-Mon Dieu! And what did you do then? – Paul gasps.

- **Called the cops and the rest ye do not wanna know. –** Vincent vehemently states and ends the conversation. – **I have no idea how ye got to see my memories of that day but I´ll try to explain this all later.**

Paul comprehends and doesn´t touch the subject anymore. He then hears a horse running towards him. He looks at the source of the noise and sees Phillippe and riding him was Belle, no longer in her golden dress but on her regular outfit with a satchel over her shoulder.

-Where are you going? – Paul asks her. – Does Beast know you´re going out?

-Papa´s trying to come here but the snow storm is weakening him. He might be hurt right now! – Belle gets Paul informed.

-Ok, I-I´ll come with you. – Paul says, wishing Belle would not tell him not to.

To his relief she doesn´t. He mounts Phillippe, holds on to Belle´s belly and the two leave the castle, with Phillippe going at his full speed and Beast, above in a balcony and behind them, roaring to the heavens.

* * *

" **Fucking shit. How did he see that day? I might have to rush things now."**


	6. Endangering loved ones

_**Note: The story will take on my view of the events as canonical as possible. If anyone reading this detects a flaw that can be corrected, address me and I´ll see what I can do.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own FNAF or Beauty and the Beast**_

-Maurice?

-Maurice!

Belle and Paul are apprehensive. Maurice was in the woods, shivering his way to a frozen man and lost looking for his daughter and adoptive son. After the search had been extended to a point more at west than the main road, the duo was getting more worried as he was still missing. Wind blew strongly on their faces and Phillippe was growing tired.

-How do you know Maurice is out here? – Paul shouts over the wind.

-Beast showed me a magic mirror that allows you see what you want. – Belle shouts back. She won´t look at Paul for she fears she might lose a clue about where he Maurice was. - I was worried about Papa and the magic mirror showed him in the forest. He´s in a terrible state.

Paul keeps a lookout for wolves or a missing hint of Maurice. It pays off when he sees a trembling dark green mount of cloth partially covered in snow. He nudges Belle and points to the discovery he made, with her turning Phillipe in that direction. Their hopes grow when they see a head with flying white hair and arms. Paul dismounts and moves the snow away.

-It´s him! – He exclaims triumphantly.

Belle dismounts too and gets to Paul´s opposite side. She lifts his arm and turns him around, getting his belly to face the sky.

-Oh Papa! – She exclaims. – Quickly let´s get him to Phillipe.

Paul grabs Maurice by his cloak and pulls him to a sitting position, and then he grabs him from the armpits and hoists him up with more or less hard efforts. Belle brings Phillipe closer and helps getting Maurice on him. Paul decides to remain in the ground to give Maurice space and keep him from falling, Belle mounts Phillipe again and the two ride silently back to their cottage.

The town is, like they were expecting, empty, so they wouldn´t have to answer any questions about their absence or Maurice´s condition. They spot their cottage, with no illumination inside, and they take Maurice inside. Paul takes the tired Phillipe to their stables, giving some carrots as a reward for being so brave and kind comforting words. The horse relaxes and Paul feels free to enter the cottage.

It´s good to be home, he had heard some say after long trips. Paul knew now what they meant.

He opens the door and finds Belle taking care of Maurice by covering him in a blue blanket, offering hot drinks, placing a bag with hot water on top of his head and putting a thermometer in his mouth. In due time he comes back to his senses and by his expression he might have believed he was in Heaven.

-Oh… Where am I…? Belle! Paul! – Maurice attempted to hug his daughter and Paul but Belle got there first.

-It´s alright Papa. You´re safe and sound. – She whispers in his shoulder.

-Maurice, never look for us in the night again, alright? – Paul kneels and hugs him too.

-I had to. Belle was gone and you went looking for her and didn´t come back. – Maurice explained, hugging his two children. – I thought that wretched monster had killed you…

-Papa, we´re safe. And Beast is no monster. He´s my friend. – Belle told, letting go of him.

Maurice was dumbfounded for a moment.

-She´s right. Beast was a rude person but not anymore. He´s a better man now. – Paul defended her sister´s claims.

-What has that monster done to you? – Maurice couldn´t believe their words.

-It´s true. I wouldn´t lie to you, you know that. – Paul stated more seriously.

There was a noise from the table where the satchel had been left, the semi-muffled noise of something trying to come out of it from the opening. Not forgetting how he had met Freddy, Paul is the first one to react. He jumps to a window, opens it, covers the distance to the satchel and gets ready to throw it out. He pulls his right arm back, with the satchel on it, ready to throw it out, when it opens, sending two objects flying. One is a screaming cup that is miraculously caught by Belle and the other a diamond mirror that lands in a pillow left in the floor.

-Chip? – Paul says unbelieving.

-Monsieur! – Chip happily calls. – Belle!

Maurice extends a trembling palm to Chip and the kid hops to his palm.

-Oh my boy, it´s good to see you. – Maurice chuckles and coughs. – I thought I wouldn´t see you again.

-Belle. – Chip hops around himself to face Belle. – Why did you leave the castle? Don´t you like us anymore?

-Oh Chip, of course I do it´s just…

 _KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_

Belle interrupts her excuse and goes to the door. Paul stays with Maurice and checks the thermometer. He was recovering well.

-Monsieur D`Arque! – Belle exclaims from the door.

- **D`Artagan?** – Vincent, who had been "asleep" in Paul´s mind, asks.

Paul´s blood pressure drops. D`Arque, the director of the Insane Asylum far from the town? What was he doing there?

-We´ve come to get your father. – His dark voice announces his intentions.

-My father? – Belle asks confused.

Paul runs to the door, leaving Chip with Maurice.

-What do want, Monsieur? – Paul tries to politely question the older somber man.

-We`d like your father to join my patients, where he will be taken care of. – The old man tells them, stepping aside with an evil smile to show the whole town around the river and, illuminated by the torches they had in their hands, the Asylum´s carriage.

They gasp as the motive of the visit comes into light.

- **Uh-ho.** – Vincent curses in Paul´s mind.

-My father is not crazy! – Belle protests in D`Arque´s face.

-And why is the whole town in here? – Paul demanded, addressing D`Arque and the residents.

-He is crazy! – Some shouted in unison.

-He sees monsters around the corners. – That one got laughs.

-The children aren´t safe with him! – A mom with a baby on her arms and two girls at her side screamed.

-It´s unanimous. They don´t want your father running around the town shouting craziness into their ears. – A different voice says, quite pleased.

Paul turns to Gaston with a growl.

-You had a hand in this, didn´t you? – He growls, fury building up in his heart.

- **I´m so gonna skin ye, fucker.** – Vincent threatened, leaving Paul´s mind and reappearing in front of him.

Gaston does something incredible then: He raises his arms to his sides, clenches the left hand into a fist and spins around to the crowd, hitting Vincent in the right temple. Even though he started to make a speech to the crowd, his eyes were fixed on Vincent.

-The only delusion I see in this town comes in the form of Maurice and his mind. We cannot allow our children, our future, to be exposed to the menace he represents. – He walks forward, throwing a powerful high kick to Vincent´s ribs. – And his son, the brilliant Paul Roy-Palomer, follows his teachings with no doubt! They are dangerous! – His voice drops to a whisper. - Unless…

- **He knows I exist.** – Vincent crawls on his back to Paul, disbelief leaking from his words.

Paul is shocked at that revelation, but even more when some men leave the crowd and seize him by the arms and two others go inside the cottage.

-Paul! – Belle calls.

She tries to reach Paul but a muscular arm wraps around her arms and pulls her closer to it´s owner.

-Unless… You accept to marry me and I let them go. – Gaston concludes.

-NO! You blackmailing son of a bitch, leave us alone. – Paul screams with Vincent´s hand on his shoulder for support.

The answer Paul gets comes from an arm twist restraint that hurts Paul. Belle releases herself and runs back to the house when the two men who had gone inside came out with a yelling Maurice. Vincent screams curses and moves to hit Gaston. The muscular man, prepared and not worried, raises a knee that injures Vincent´s testicles and pushes him aside, putting on the act that he was walking with the restrained Maurice and Paul.

- **Paul!** – A desperate Vincent screams.

-My father is not crazy! And I can prove it! – Belle shouts from the door.

The mob, retreating satisfied with the popular justice, stop and turn to Belle, who is holding the diamond mirror. Gaston is perplexed by seeing she might prove Maurice isn´t crazy, Maurice looks at her quizzically and Paul is a bit less as he knows what that was.

-Show me the Beast. – She asks the mirror and lifts it up for everyone to see what it showed.

The mirror´s reflection of the night is magically replaced with one of Beast, roaring to the night in sadness, and that scares the populace of the town.

-No, no, no. He isn´t bad. In fact he is smart and gentle… He´s my friend. – She describes Beast, smiling fondly at the mirror.

-If I didn´t know you better, I´d have said you have fallen in love with the monster. – Gaston turns Belle around to face him.

She pulls away from him.

-He´s not a monster, Gaston. You are! – She tells him angry.

Gaston´s face distorts to one of rage.

-She´s as crazy as the old man. – He takes the mirror of her hands by force and pushes her away. - The monster will snatch your children! He will find them at night!

-No! – Paul and Belle deny to no avail.

-We can´t let him get away with that! LET´S KILL THE MONSTER! – Gaston shouts to the heavens.

The mob, convinced by Gaston´s speech, echoed his conviction. Some run back to their houses to get forks or other offensive tools, others light the others` torches. Belle tries to stop Gaston but he grabs her.

-If you´re not with us, you´re against us! Take those two to their basement with Belle. Or they will warn the monster! – He orders to the ones holding Paul and Maurice.

They obey and soon the family was locked in the basement. Belle bangs at the door for someone to free them, but no one does, choosing to follow Gaston´s mad crusade over listening to reason. Well, the true reason and not the logical reason. A black liquid slips in unnoticed by Belle through the cracks in the doors and takes the shape of Vincent, still gripping his balls in pain.

- **That goblin! I`ll cut out his Gob and carve `im a new cunt where his nuts are!** – Vincent moans in pain.

Paul takes him to a corner and sits with him, searching for something to ease his pain, finding only a metal circle, cold to the touch.

-Sorry for the rudimentary of this, but press this against your testicles. – Paul offers.

- **Arigato, senpai.** – Vincent thanked with high chuckles. – **Man, not even me humor can ease the pain.**

Paul leaves Vincent alone and walks to Belle and Maurice, who are trying to push the doors open.

-Can we get out? – He asks.

-They blocked the door with the plank. – Maurice pants. – We´d need something strong to break it.

Paul gets the message and rummages the cellar for an object matching that description.

-Your wood-chopper! – Belle says and Paul stops searching.

The big machine, Maurice´s invention for the Science Fair, rests unused by a corner, and Paul approaches it.

-A prototype? We might be able to use this to break down the door. – Paul evaluated the invention. – How do I get it working?

-You just…

- **SHHH!**

The warning came from Vincent and, as Paul checks him, he sees it´s something concerning. He gestures Maurice to keep quiet, an equal warning for Belle, and they keep quiet. Belle and Maurice don´t hear it, but Paul and Vincent do.

 **Audio File: FNAF 1 Freddy Character Page – Toreador´s March audio file**

 _CLANG/CLUNG! CLUNG/CLANG! CLANG/CLUNG! CLUNG/CLANG!_

Metallic footsteps. And a cheerful song.

The two brothers feel the shivers running down their spines along with their hearts beating faster. They have an idea of those who are walking up there, ready to tear the whole town apart if necessary, just to find and purge a certain dead man. Paul crouches and moves closer to Maurice and Belle.

-Belle, Maurice, whatever happens, when I say, you run out there and get to the castle. – Paul whispers.

-Why are you whispering? – Belle inquires in a matching whisper.

-The demons are here. – Paul tries and fails to keep the whisper low and calm.

He knows that they will find him, the demons are too bloodthirsty and close to give up their chase, he knows inclusive that he will die that night. Because he would stay by his brother´s side. Belle´s eyes widen and her lower lip trembles slightly, while Maurice looks to the siblings in big confusion.

-And you? – Belle asks.

-I will stay here with Vincent, he will need help and I´m the only one who can help him. – Paul says determined.

-But you can be killed. – Belle protests.

-I know. And if that happens, I won´t drag you two to the same fate. – Paul confirms sighing. – You´re too important to me for that.

-No! I will stay with you! – Belle refuses to accept her brother´s choice.

-What are you talking about? – Maurice isn´t liking the conversation. He wants answers.

- **There you are.**

The door is banged hard, scaring all the trapped. Another bang and the wood begins to crack. Paul jumps to be in front of Vincent so as to stay at his side and to divert the attention away from his adoptive family. One more bang and a dark fist destroys the door and the plank, with gasps and screams following it. The doors are ripped off their hinges and thrown to the sides, and Freddy enters, first the rest of the left hand, then the arm, then the head and then the whole body.

" _It´s time"_ , Paul realizes.

-Hey! Morceau de merde!

The twitchy black head of Freddy snaps towards Paul and his eyes flash with beams of orange light, giving more light inside the dark room, fixating on Paul. Smiling cruelly, he takes a step forward, the dark feet leaving a burning mark on the stone and the arms making screechy noises when raised, as if rusty. Another step forward, another burning footstep and Chica comes into view from a dark corner, looking angrier than two nights ago.

- _ **You caAAn´t ruuuuun.**_ – She intoned with sadism.

- **I wasna plannin` to.** – Vincent spits to the ground. – **And I have me brother, so I won´t at least go down unwanted.**

 **-** **Your brother isn´t here, Vincent. He didn´t want to** _ **see your corpse**_ **help you.** **–** Freddy growled, his sharp fingers closing and extending.

-No. I´m right here. – Paul interjects and takes a fighting stance.

 **-Better leave the talkin` to us adults, seagull.**

Paul is hoisted up from the back of the collar and left hanging some inches from the ground. He looks behind him and sees Foxy holding him with the hook, looking content.

\- RUN! – He screams to Belle and Maurice.

The two follow his command, leaving with tears or horror on their faces.

- _ **My doll!**_ – Chica moans, hurt.

- **Leave `em be, Charlotte. Imma be your sex toy, but leave them alone. –** Vincent tells Chica.

Freddy walks to Vincent and grabs him from the head, covering the whole face with the palms of his hands.

- **As you wish. And now** _ **see you in HEEEEeeeell.**_

Vincent isn´t able to breath and yet, as if that kind of suffocation wasn´t enough for Freddy, the animatronic squeezes the head with the two hands, making Vincent moan in pain. Paul struggled with the hook, kicking the air to set himself free, and Foxy has to hold his legs in order to restrain him.

- _ **Now,NOW, don´t run. We jUST want to be YOUR FRIENDS.**_ – Chica opens her huge mouth and the three shiny rows of teeth appear.

She walks slowly to Paul and grabs his head, making sure the pointy tips of the nails are piercing Paul´s skin and he is closing his eyes tight, and then her mouth opens to it´s maximum capacity. Paul doesn´t believe he´s going to be killed but accepts his fate.

- _ **YOU can THAnk me for this later, SUGAR.**_ – The huge animatronic chuckled.

He feels the points of her teeth on his scalp and jaw, he feels the pressure she´s applying, the skin being cut and the bones giving in.

It´s done…

 _It´s dark. So dark._

 _He remembers the animatronics and their attack. Freddy was in charge of torturing and killing Vincent and Chica had bitten his face but after that he doesn´t remember. He may be dead and engaging a new journey to the Purgatory. Or maybe not and he´s still bleeding out, unconscious yet soon dead._

 _He thinks of Belle and Maurice. His precious family, whom he hopes with all his heart to be safe. He wishes that they´ll be able to save Beast from the town and defeat Gaston. He lets a tear roll at the memories he would hold of them, all his life tied to their love and compassion. He can´t wish for a better destiny to them than the happiness in its absolute and material form. He was only sad he would never leave to see them again._

 _Paul takes a hesitant step. It´s steady ground. However he can´t see a thing._

 _-I could use a light. – He asks to no one in particular._

 _His closed right hand is filled with a round object. Not being able to see what it was, he lets his fingers explored the object until he feels a button, which he presses, and light comes out of it._

 _-It´s like that "flashlight" from Vincent´s memory. – Paul observes._

 _The beam of light points where he wants, illuminating the floor and the walls, revealing a room that is really old. The moisture is felt in his face, the floor is missing tiles, a single metal table has spider webs in the corners and feet, and three weird rectangular boxes with a glass window and handles and buttons._

 _His faces gets hotter on his left side, like his focus was called over there for some reason, and Paul looks at to the left with the light illuminating the discovery. Paul recognizes the yellow and green skin decayed, with a dried blood pool surrounding the legs and dried blood marks on the suit, from the holes and locks._

 _-You´re Buzz. – Paul gasps. – How long has it been since that day?_

 _-ONE FINAL PUSH GUYS: C´MON!_

 _Paul redirects the light to his right, where he sees a sealed door. Figuring he can get help from the people outside, Paul pushes and pulls the doors with all his might. They begin to give in but it´s not Paul´s strength that accomplishes the feat; it´s of the three men who burst through the forced doors._

 _Strong lights floods the building, letting the bad scents out and forcing the three men to run outside for fresh air. Paul runs out of the door for freedom and encounters himself face-to-face with a teenager wearing shorts and red T-shirt, greasy black hair and his face infested with pimples. He looks around again and sees he´s by a hall._

 _-Y´know you have to use the air masks you fools. Now let´s dig out that promising lead. – He says shaking his head._

 _They all go inside, not noticing Paul at all, and come out of the sealed room carrying the suit in their backs, the suit leaving a disgusting smell that made Paul cover his nose._

 _-This is super legit. Bosses will like this new treat. – The man with greasy hair lifted a closed fist in the air in victory, apparently immune to the smell unlike his three companions._

 _-Hello? Can´t anyone see me? – Paul shouted, poking them in the head._

 _His fingers passed through the men´s heads and limbs and they kept on going like nothing had happened at all._

 _Before Paul can try a new tactic he is swallowed by darkness once more and reappears inside an office._

 _He can tell he is no longer in the same place as before, but he is almost fooled in doing so. The office has a big glass window and an entrance with no door. A trash bin with crumpled papers was next to a metal table with three plushies of the demons but without the dark forms, and a device that has three helices spinning very fast inside a metal cage. It blows wind to Paul´s face and he likes the device. Posters and drawings made by children hang in the walls. A card box with metal parts rests untouched by the entrance and Paul decides not to touch it. They were so strange._

 _He sits in a dark comfy chair and takes a square rectangular box with glass._

 _-And what are you? – He inquires aloud._

 _It turns on and Paul sees a diagram of a building in the inferior right corner, two rectangles with PLAY AUDIO and MAP TOGGLE engraved on the left inferior corner, over the full-view from the ceiling of a room. The room has cabinets, he assumes, with handles and buttons and a cupcake resting on top of them. He touches the diagram in a little square with CAM 08 written on it and static fills the screen, replacing the image of that room with cabinets with a hallway._

 _-Incredible. – Paul whispers excited._

 _He continues to touch more squares, each revealing new rooms and passages, some with nothing worth mentioning, others with tribal masks. He presses the PLAY AUDIO button._

 _-HELLO?_

 _Paul is fascinated. He had just made the building talk. He presses the MAP TOGGLE and the view is changed to the inside a long metal path. The diagrams had changed too, showing tunnels in the sides of some rooms and giving more CAM buttons to press. Paul likes this but he wants to continue making noises and toggles the building diagram back on._

 _HI!_

 _AHAHA!_

 _HELLO!_

 _HI!_

 _Paul is really impressed. Was that the future Vincent had talked about?_

" _Vincent, I hope you´re fine wherever you are.", Paul silently prays._

 _He presses CAM 10 and sees a door with a sign glowing red. It read EXIT. Paul believes he has to get there. He puts down the object that allowed him to see the door and gets up. He nearly chokes in surprise._

 _Buzz is watching him, the mouth with square teeth slightly agape in a smile, his eyes glowing unnaturally green, the ears (at least one as the other is missing) high as if alert to Paul´s presence, and the body twitching. Paul rubs his eyes and he is gone. Paul thinks death might be causing hallucinations and he concludes he needs to get to the door and fast. He turns to the left to leave…_

… _and he is grabbed roughly by his arms by Buzz._

 _The glowing eyelids, previously partially down, are wide open in strange surprise, the mouth opens to screech and stands agape. A moan escapes from the suit and Paul shakes in fear._

 _-Let me go! – Paul begs._

 _Darkness haunts him again, the grip on the arms vanishing._

 _-What is going on here? – Paul sits on his knees._

 _-You have returned._

 _A white light creates a small gap in the darkness and, after being parted, a woman comes out._

 _-You! – Paul recognizes the woman._

 _The woman from his dream, with blonde hair hovering around her being, her white eyes staring gently at him, her full lips in a smile, her golden and violet vests fluttering at the whim of a wind unknown to him, is now standing in front of him._

 _-Do not be frightened, my child. It is of no use to you. – The woman kneels to face him at his level. – The fact that you are with me means that you have been killed._

 _-I…I kind of knew that. Trying to save my brother from the demons` clutches. – Paul nods._

 _-Vincent is not your brother, my dear. – The woman confesses sadly._

 _Paul shifts his position to sit in his bottom and looks at her more closely._

 _-You´re wrong. He told me the story himself. And who are you to state such lies? – He asks._

 _-My name is Delilah, a sorceress that lives to help people redeem themselves. – She introduces herself. - I know all about those who died and those who will die. I have the power to bring the dead back to life and to punish the wicked in the Purgatory._

 _While enumerating her attributions and powers, colorful stained-glass windows materialized in the darkness, depicting Delilah in a black hood surrounded by tormented souls or shining light to kneeled men and women._

 _-And few are the ones I choose to give a second chance. Like you. – She goes on, motioning her heads once more._

 _White light cuts the darkness and takes the shape of Vincent. She then closes her hand and the darkness liquefies and falls._

 _-_ _ **You again! What´re ye doin`?**_ _– Vincent demands pointing his finger._

 _-You… you… are me._

 _Paul can´t form more words. The darkness that had been around Vincent for all the time had disappeared and now, his true form revealed, Paul stares at his doppelganger. The similarities are visible: His blue eyes, the brown hair kept short instead of shoulder length size and without a ponytail, and the height and weight. But Vincent, or rather, Paul´s doppelganger wears a purple shirt, along with black pants with a belt, a flashlight holstered in it, and black shoes._

 _-_ _ **Yeah, um…**_ _surprise? – Vincent chuckles with a nervous smile._

 _-We could be twins. – Paul tried another suggestion._

 _Delilah shakes her head._

 _-No. Come with me. – She takes his hand and they are engulfed in light, reappearing in a white room._

 _-Where are we now? – Paul inquires._

 _She says nothing. Delilah motions again and in front of Paul the room transforms into an alley. A mother and her son walk through it, laughing about a "movie", and come across a beggar with his head lowered and a hand raised. The kid is the flawless copy of Paul´s 5 year old self, Paul notes._

 _-Oh poor man. – The mother stops to contemplate the man. – We should help him Vincent. Do you have a coin with you?_

 _Vincent, or Paul, he didn´t know which one, in his 5 year old form, searches his pockets and takes out a coin. The mother nods and takes the coin, telling her son to watch how it was done. She gets closer to the beggar and places the coin on his hand, closing it with some pats. Unexpectedly, however, the unseen hand of the beggar flashed and the next minute it slashed the mother´s belly, spraying blood or the ground. The mother backs away in surprise and holds the cut to stop the blood from leaving._

 _-Mommy? – Vincent asks concerned and clueless of what happened._

 _The beggar, in the meantime, was on his feet and proceeds to stab the mother some millimeters away from the cut. He looks at Vincent for a moment and decides to spare him, leaving in a hurry and forgetting his knife._

 _-S-sweetie… I… - The mother attempts to talk but collapses._

 _-Mommy? Mommy? Mommy? – Vincent was at her side, shaking her to wake her up._

 _The scene leaves an unfazed Delilah glancing at Paul. If it is for seeing what happened to his mother but according to Vincent or not, she can´t tell, but Paul is crying at the sad scene. To spare him from the rest of the memory she flicks her wrist and the scene changes to look like the inside a restaurant._

 _Paul gets a feeling of having been present already in that place and in an instance he realizes why: The dream he had after he was attacked by Bonnie for the first time was set on that location._

 _The show stage had two demons on top of it, the yellow bear, Fredbear, and the bunny, Buzz. They weren´t decayed or withered, no, they were like they had taken a shower and changed clothes, bringing out some details Paul had never noticed. Buzz had a black bowtie and a brown belly and even whiskers, and Fredbear… was like the one from the dream, excluding the menacing features and it sang._

 _The kids ran around the place, ducking or jumping over wooden chairs and tables, giggling and yelling, the adults following them by a distance. Delilah taps Paul to look at the wall facing the show stage and they see a lone kid, again resembling Paul, now with 7 seven years old, preferring to smile to the passing children than actually play with them. Above him, completely out of place, a swordfish hanged on the wall._

 _-Vincent, why aren´t you playing with the others? - An adult, Paul presumed him to be Vincent´s father, Adrian, because of the security guard uniform, called out from a pool of plastic colorful balls where the kids dove in and retrieved action figures._

 _The kid looked at his father and nodded repeatedly. When his father turned his attention from him, he kept still in the same position._

 _-Poor man was shy. – Paul sighed. – And anytime now his father will be going to a hospital._

 _-Not his father, your father. – Delilah stated. A kid ran through her and she didn´t even flinch._

 _-Witch or no, you can´t lie to me! I heard the truth straight from Vincent´s mouth! – Paul protested, facing her._

 _On the memory a plate with a pizza slice flies above their head and hits the swordfish, landing on Vincent´s head, the latter making a YUCK!, not noticing the swordfish´s head sliding slowly down._

 _-Vincent is a master in deceiving people with years of experience and his mind is a deprived one that works for nothing but perdition. – Delilah reinforces her claims calmly._

 _-Lord, please, will you see reason when it´s presented to you? – Paul desperately exclaims._

 _Screams fill their ears and Paul looks to see Vincent´s father on the ground with the swordfish piercing his brain from the top and leaving through a hole in the left cheek. Delilah remains calm._

 _-If I show you the next memory you will see the truth, Paul. I give you my word. – She promises._

 _Paul refuses to look at her, his mind made up, instead wishing to accompany the medic´s arrival and the father´s transfer to a stretcher with wheels. Delilah allows them to disappear from the location and then she changes the scene._

 _The restaurant becomes a living room, of cream colored walls and brown wooden floor, with a large armchair where three people can fit in, a box with a square glass ("Too many of those", Paul thinks irritated) and a carpet. And on the hallway connecting it to a series of rooms was a kid, of 10 years old, looking scared._

 _-See? – Delilah asks, her hand extended to the kid. – Listen._

" _ **He is hiding again. Be careful**_ _"_

 _Paul was confused. It was Delilah´s voice but it wasn´t from the woman next to him. It was from a golden plushy of Fredbear._

 _-I knew what you were long before you did, and I saw the torture you had your brother undergo for your amusement. – Delilah says. – I tried to amend things by becoming your brother´s guardian but you were unpredictable. I failed over and over again…_

 _Had her voice been intoxicated with regret? Paul has a hard time figuring it out. The kid enters the living room and looks around with tearing up eyes. He sniffs and walks in slowly. He stands waiting for moments until he becomes convinced that his attacker wasn´t there. A thin trace of a smile covered his lips. He heads to the box with the glass and hears a CREEK._

 _Paul and the kid freeze and, the next second, both fall scared at the freight caused by a man in a fox´s mask._

 _-Foxy was his father? – Paul asks recovering from the surprise. –No, what am I saying?_

 _The kid curls up with his knees tight against the chest and cries and whimpers for his mother. The man in the mask chuckles quickly and evilly._

 _-Oh Paul. Ye are such a tiny BITCH! And I don´t want that to change, heard me matey? – The man in the mask laughs with passion._

 _The man, or rather, the older boy, takes the mask of and laughs more manically, getting the brother to sob even more and Paul to stand up and put a hand to his mouth. The kid looked nothing like him, with the short dark-brown hair, short-sleeved black shirt with white stripes and the blue shorts, hugging the teddy bear. But the older brother, was Paul´s self at the age of 14. The hair was short, yes, but the rest belonged to Paul: The happy smile, the delighted expression, the body…_

 _-No. – Paul won´t believe it. – No, no, no, no, no, NO!_


	7. Redemption is at hand

_**Note: The story will take on my view of the events as canonical as possible. If anyone reading this detects a flaw that can be corrected, address me and I´ll see what I can do.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own FNAF or Beauty and the Beast**_

* * *

 _-_ _ **Tomorrow is another day.**_

 _The words coming from the Fredbear plushy are meant to ease the kid´s agitated soul but they are left hovering in the air._

 _14 year old Paul places the mask under his armpit and leaves the living, still laughing of his achievement. And the Paul that is forced to come up with an explanation for the events he just witnessed feels his throat dry and his mind in a confusing whirlwind._

 _-It doesn´t make any sense. Vincent is the older of us two but if I´m over there… No, let´s rewind. Calm down. The younger brother has my name but Vincent is over there, and looks like me, while I don´t, I mean he doesn´t… Oh Lord…_

 _Paul buries his head in his hands in frustration. He then concludes the only thing possible, what had happened. He lifts his head up suddenly to reveal his theory when he sees they are back at the restaurant, this time with party decorations and balloons all around the place._

 _-This takes place seven days after what we just saw, in the party of a girl whom Paul knew, a girl who had a crush on him. She had invited him and his father had accepted it in his place, with the condition that you… Vincent… – She corrects when Paul´s jaw tightens. – …kept watch over his brother._

 _Sobs are heard in front of them, coming from the younger Paul, in the same clothes as the previous memory, who was on his knees with their back turned on him._

 _-Oh Paul are you serious with me?_

 _Vincent comes into view, wearing a Foxy mask, he too barely changed, with three friends close to him. They were of Vincent´s age, all with masks of the demons` faces, looking out of place but laughing at Paul´s sight. They surround him._

 _-Wow, your brother is kind of a baby, isn´t he?! – One of them, with the Chica mask, nudges to Vincent._

 _-It´s hilarious. Why don´t we help him get a closer look! He will love it. – Vincent says._

 _-NO, please! – Young Paul cries, pleading with his eyes._

 _-Come on guys, let´s give this little man a lift. He wants to get up close and personal! – Vincent claps._

 _The older kids didn´t mind Paul´s protests, lift him up, and head across the room to the show stage, the louder protests incentivizing the older kids` cruelty. They reach the show stage, with Fredbear and Buzz singing, and go up to the stage._

 _-Hey guys, I think the little man said he wants to give Fredbear a big kiss!_

 _-Please stop. – The Paul next to Delilah begged. – Please!_

 _-On three! One… Two… THREE!_

 _The kids shove Paul´s head inside Fredbear´s mouth when the latter opened his mouth, getting the young Paul hanging from the head, struggling to get out._

 _-Do something! – A girl asked a security guard._

 _-And, with the tears moistening the locks inside the creature´s mouth… - Delilah began._

 _SNAP! CRUNCH!_

 _All Hell broke loose._

 _The scene fades and they are back in the white room._

 _-Do you see reason now? – Delilah asks._

 _Silence._

 _-Paul? – She asks again, truly concerned._

 _-You´re the devil... –There is only a tiny whisper._

 _-I beg your pardon? – Delilah questions, not having understood a word._

 _-You´re the devil! YOU´VE COME TO LEAD ME ASTRAY! – Paul roars, raising a hand in mad fury._

 _-No Paul, I cannot and I will never lead anyone astray. – Delilah kindly corrects him, unfazed by the physical threat. – But I was wrong. Perhaps…_

 _She snaps her fingers and they are in an old room. Paul, from the faint lights coming from the doors, recognizes that he is back at the old room where he saw Buzz´s withered suit. And there he was, but with no blood pool around him or dirtying him. The doors are opened and Paul looks, with big shock, at himself, with the same characteristics and the same age, except for a crucial difference. The sadistic look on his face._

 _-One night, long after your brother´s death and after there was the incident of 1987, you returned. You had been having constant nightmares of your victims stalking you and your fears had won in the end. You returned to Freddy Fazbear´s Pizza and dismantled the creatures to be sure it wouldn´t happen. – Delilah summarizes._

 _Indeed, Vincent is looking like he had won His Majesty´s favor and made a noble, swinging a screwdriver and barely holding his laughter. He throws the tool away and takes out another small rectangle with glass and twelve buttons in it. After pressing some of them, he speaks to it, ranting about his accomplishments and his next plans. When he is done he sits in silence, close to the cabinets, and spends the time dozing off._

 _THUM, THUM, THUM_

 _Vincent jolts awake and looks at the door. He hadn´t heard things; someone was banging at the doors._

 _-I´m the only one who knows about this room. Who in the hell…? – Vincent mutters._

 _THUM, THUM, THUM_

 _The bangs are fiercer. Vincent doesn´t know what to make of the situation. And then a march begins to play. The Toreador´s March._

 _-Oh fuck, oh fuck. HOW? – Vincent almost faints._

 _Paul won´t blame him. It´s Freddy that´s at the door, and he knows Freddy is as relentless in his chase as a rabid dog. Vincent looks to Buzz´s suit then to the door. Making a decision, he pulls out the rectangular object and dials some numbers._

 _-Hey, hey. Day four. . - Vincent, like he had done with Buzz with a hoarse, changes his voices to sound more hesitant. He can´t fake the fear in the voice though. - Didn´t think you´d make it! Listen, huh, I may not be around to send you a message tomorrow. It´s been a bad night for me. I´m kinda glad I recorded these messages, hum… when I did._

 _Vincent presses another button, leaves the object on the metal table and walks to the suit. Still speaking to the rectangle, Vincent puts on Buzz´s suit using the same method as Paul had seen being used previously before Belle´s dance. The doors are banged harder but stop suddenly as Vincent is about to put the mask on. The doors` handles turns and the doors open._

 _It´s a Fredbear and Freddy mixture, Paul comes to describe it, with the golden colors covering the suit but with Freddy´s model, bowtie and top hat. It´s even weirder when it collapses on the ground and out of it something white and hollow evaporates and takes shape. It becomes a ghost of a small kid._

 _Paul and Vincent share a shiver. It´s Paul, but the younger brother one._

 _Delilah, to see the scene in a better position, took Paul with her by an arm to the doors._

 _-Oh, no. – Vincent mumbled, dropping the mask on the floor._

 _His brother snaps his head to the voice´s direction and lets out a moaning scream, deep and hurt. The echoes makes it sound terribly upsetting to the point Delilah holds her breath. The rectangular object beeps, trembles and dies. The rain intensifies and water begins to leak in through the ceiling, dripping to the floor and to the suit. Vincent is terrified, even the spectators can notice that._

 _-Vincent saw himself cornered in the room and was faced with two terrible fates: One was being murdered by his brother and the other was being killed by the suit. – Delilah breaks the silence._

 _-How? - Paul asks, too mesmerized by the scene to face her._

 _-What happened to his brother that killed him? – Delilah questions as the answer._

 _Paul thinks back. There was Fredbear, him being crushed… Wait, he had been crushed because, as Delilah had said, the tears moistened the locks in the mouth and…_

 _Paul looks up. The water drips on top of the suit, running down and seeping inside the suit._

" _Mon Dieu", Paul claws his scalp when he realizes Vincent´s fate._

 _Young Paul´s ghost floats to Vincent. Vincent, fearing correctly for his safety, rams through the ghost to get some distance._

 _-Back off! – He orders._

 _It´s of no use. The ghost turns around in no hurry and floats to him. Vincent has no choice but to get some distance and repeat the same cat and rat game over and over again fruitlessly._

 _Four ghosts come inside, a mess of white and grey brought together, guarding the door. Paul assumes that they were the murdered kids, released from their prisons, and they become witnesses of the happenings. Vincent rams through Young Paul´s ghost and runs to his original position. In the way however, he trips over the mask and falls spinning, landing with his back to the wall._

 _A smile creeps over the ghost as Vincent begs to be left alone. He then has an idea: Risky and nearly impossible, but worth trying. He takes the mask and puts it on, concealing his face completely. The ghost stops approaching him and looks around, confused to the mysterious disappearance of his prey, floating to Vincent´s last know location._

 _He had tricked the ghosts._

 _Vincent stands up abruptly and laughs mockingly, making Paul´s heart cringle._

 _-Oh my… - Paul pinches his nose._

 _CRUNCH!_

 _-AAAAAAAAHHHH!_

 _His brain completely shuts down. His body goes numb except his left arm. Paul yells as his arm is cut open in several places in wounds with the same diameter. Next follows the chest, the belly, the rest of the limbs, his eyes and ears. His brain turns itself back on but this time with a whole new reality of knowledge haunting him. Paul sees everything:_

 _-He sees his father cursing the girl that he had killed out of frustration;_

 _-He sees his brother in the hospital bed, bandages on his forehead and in the sides of the head, as the heart-monitor swallows his innocence and his brother;_

 _-He shakes hands with the manager of the pizzeria, his new purple uniform and a flashlight on his free hand;_

 _-He locks the Storage Room´s door and turns the lights on, showing the kids confused and whining for Freddy, as he smiles maniacally and swings a kitchen knife savagely;_

 _-He sees his friend, Fritz Smith, being carried away in a body bag, and releases his long held back tears as he glares the purple box to death, where the Pop, Goes the Weasel song is being played;_

 _-He looks at himself in a mirror, the water running down his bearded and unclean face, fragments of the animatronics tearing him apart limb by limb lingering in his memory;_

 _-He sees his end, crushed to death and forever stuck inside Buzz and the specters evaporating to rest in peace;_

 _-He sees himself roaming the place he had observed in the squares of the glass thing in the office ("They´re cameras", Paul identified), trying to evade the security guard taking the night shift. He wanted to kill him so much, to feel excited once more, to feel the thrill of the chase;_

 _-And he watches as his trapped self is stuck in a burning vent, the night guard having survived six nights of relentless pursuit and deciding that the place had to burn. He hears the screams, demanding him to_ _ **Burn!,**_ _calling him_ _ **disgusting,**_ _and laughing his way out of the building._

 _Delilah smiles triumphantly and swipes the scene away. They had returned to the black room where Vincent waits for them with his arms crossed._

 _-Ah, brother! How´s yer mind, now? Is the soul in peace? – He greets Paul._

 _Paul eyes Vincent with hurt trust._

 _-How could you… how could I? – He sobs._

 _-Easy really. We took a knife and… - Vincent grinned lifting a finger up._

 _-NO!_

 _For once Delilah shows surprise for the outburst._

 _-Our brother… how could YOU? – Paul clarifies with clenched teeth._

 _-Easy really. In me mind I never had a brother. He was nothing like me, we shared blood, but we were not brothers. – Vincent smiles, giving Paul a need to hit him. – I only saw me self as a brother and all the times that lil squirt curled an` cried, I saw my innocence in it. Ah despised that and I´m glad it died with him._

 _-You bastard. – Paul snarled._

 _-Ye´re me brother not him. And now we can be together as one. Just ditch the whore and join me. – Vincent extended a hand to Paul. – We can keep up the good work we´ve done. No rules, no bounds… Whaddya say?_

 _Paul stares at the hand. He smiles and with a laugh he grabs the wrist instead, pulls Vincent closer to him and knees him in the diaphragm. Vincent gasps and falls on the ground, holding his stomach and with a moan of pain. He sends a creative curse to Paul and when he stares at him he sees his right hand grab his hair and pull him up._

 _-I may do lots of things from here on out. But I refuse to become you ever again. – Paul spits venomously on Vincent and uppercuts him, sending him spiraling to the ground unconscious._

 _Paul realizes various things simultaneously: One is that he, as Vincent, had punched many people in many brutal ways; another one is that he, as Paul, had never really felt so disgusted to the point of punching someone; the last one is that that had felt tremendously good._

 _-Is that your final answer then? – Delilah asked, stepping over Vincent´s body and offering him a hand._

 _A deep breath._

 _-My name is Paul Roy-Palomer, and whatever link I have with Vincent´s persona is now gone. I live in France with my sister and my father, I love them as much as life, and I regret not seeing them once more. And also… I also regret what I did to my little brother._

 _He takes the offered hand and Delilah glows with a bright light. Paul closes his eyes, warmly welcoming the afterlife._

* * *

" _Wait, how is afterlife so cold?"_ , Paul wonders with a frown.

He opens his eyes. And he can´t believe what he sees, for he was back in the basement where he had died. He looks to where he had died. There was a blood pool in there but there was no body.

-I know what you wonder and so I remind you I hold the power to bring the dead back to life. And one cannot go without tying up loose ends. – Delilah moves a hand to his chest and a white dot shines in his clothes. Paul´s mind is informed of what it is through the dot speaking with him.

–Help Belle and Adam achieve happiness – Delilah continues.

She grows less solid with each word spoken.

-I can´t fight the whole town. If I had the Fazbear´s gang at my side however I could take them on. – Paul calculates aloud.

-You shall have help, you only need to seek them. Now that they have ended their purpose in this land, they are now visible by everyone. – She adds quickly. – And you may use it whenever you wish to. – She points to the dot.

-Wait!

Delilah keeps herself from disappearing long enough to listen to Paul.

-Why could Gaston see Vincent the second time and not the first? – Paul questions, keeping it brief.

-The spell holding Vincent in your head was meant for you to be the sole person who could see him. When Vincent controlled Gaston´s mind, he created an exception, seeping some magic inside his brain. – Delilah answers. She might have said it calmly, but she was getting exhausted from staying in the same place.

And she vanishes, just like in the dreams.

Standing very still, Paul looks at his hands, clenches them and he sets out to the night.

It was full of clouds announcing the rain, some holes letting out the moonlight. Paul recalls his time walking at night on the streets of the place he formally lived with his mother.

" _Momma, where do all the stars come from?"_

" _They are our loved ones, sweetie. They never actually leave us, they stay behind to see how we grow. Your grandparents, your great-grandparents…"_

" _Even a pirate great-great-great-great-grandfather?!"_

" _Hahaha. Yes, even him."_

-Watch over me, mother, father, Paul. It´s time I make amends. – Paul announces to the skies.

" _Man, watching drama theater is inspiring.",_ Paul realizes, grinning like a fool.

He runs inside the house, gets a spare lantern and makes a run for the town and to Louis` stable.

* * *

The sleeping horses jolt awake with surprised neighs as Paul´s heavy footsteps fill the stables. In a second he is rounding the back of the stables and the horses neigh at his sight.

-Now, which one of ya is helping me? – He asks them.

He takes an old saddle and reins from the top of a chair and places them on a yellow mare´s back and head, mounts her fast and hurries her to trot her way out of the stables. The mare shakes her head neighing and with a single word and order, she gallops into the forest. The town is almost deserted with the absence of all men and few are women and children, left on their houses praying for safety, open her windows to see the mad Paul Roy-Palomer riding to the forest.

Not long after it starts to rain, something that bothers the mare and Paul, the latter taking out his fancy blood dried coat and putting it over his head as a hood. Protected by the lantern, the light shows the trees and the paths to take, and Paul has no difficulty to lead the horse from them. In the middle of the trip the mare stops and stomps the ground nervous. Paul looks around with the lantern for any immediate danger and discerns a huge red fox in yellow tattered pants walking away from them. Paul imagined that that was Delilah had meant with they becoming visible to everyone. Clearing his throat, Paul calls out to him:

-Why, if it ain´t me best pal Foxy? Did ye enjoy killin´ me brother? – Foxy stops and slowly spins around with a mystified look. – Well, guess what? I´m Deadpool, bitch! I canna die!

- **Freddy killed you!** – The animatronic exclaimed.

-An` it worked, didn´t it? Now come one, come all, they who do not catch the prey are a bunch of rotten eggs! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! – Paul mimics Vincent and stimulates the mare to run like the wind.

- **Francis! Charlotte! He´s a-A-A-alive!**

Paul chuckles. Oh, he really can´t forget to thank Vincent for what he knew now.

* * *

Paul curses. The animatronics are fast and strong and they were close to catching him.

Freddy hadn´t believe what Foxy had exclaimed until he had seen Paul riding the mare and Chica had outright gasped in disbelief at their failure. Passing those reactions, they gave chase.

Foxy by being the fastest of the three had been the one who was always the closer one to Paul, Freddy, back in his brown color and keeping the bowtie and top hat in the dark color, basically rammed or smashed the trees in his way and Chica, yellow with her orange beak, had a special accessory with her. She had a freaking cupcake that she threw whenever Paul was locked in her sights. Paul had never considered that the plastic cupcake would become a goddamn biting bitch until it decided to bite the left shoulder and sinking it´s teeth deep in the flesh.

It paid off in the end when the castle majestically emerged outside the forest and Paul stopped the exhausted mare outside the open gates. Dismounting as the mare slowed down, he ran the rest of the way inside and halted by the open door. He looked back to see the animatronics throwing down the mare in fury and looking straight at him.

-Catch me if ya can! – He dared them mimicking Vincent again.

With that said and some roars blasting his eardrums he went inside the castle where, to his relief and shock, he saw the staff giving the whole town an old-fashioned castle defense. He ran inside, shoving his way through the disoriented and scared town´s men, encountering Cogsworth and Lumière by chance, and running up the main staircase and taking the right route to Adam´s room.

Gaston had left muddy footprints, as indicated by the size of the boots, and had gone after Adam alone. All the better. Paul was just dying to give Gaston a remedy for his actions.

Down a floor, the men scream as well as the staff as roars echo in the castle.

- **Where is he?** – Freddy yells, making loud CLANGS! as he walks.

- _ **Vincy, be a gOod boy**_ _**ANd play nice! COME OUT!**_ \- Chica demands, her voice cracking and faltering.

-Everyone for themselves! – Some men shouted terrified.

-This castle is haunted! Run! – With that said, running footsteps and yelling flood the castle.

" _Have to hurry"_ , Paul mentally notes.

The footprints lead to Adam´s room, one of the rooms of the castle where Paul had never gotten in, and this one had the window opened to outside, broken glass in the balcony and a beautiful woman in it.

-Beast! – Belle calls out.

-Belle! – Beast calls back in joy.

-Belle? – Paul asks walking inside the room.

The girl in question spins around.

-Paul! – She happily exclaims.

Paul runs to her and hugged her with all his might.

-You´re not dead! – She kisses his face repeatedly.

" _I always come back, Belle. Just not in the best way"_ , Paul wants to tell her but thinks otherwise.

-You two came back. – Beast, who had climbed to meet them, jumps over to the balcony rail.

-You´re our friend. We don´t le… - Paul begins to smile.

It fades away with roars from either sides of the room. Coming the closer to him, Beast roars in pain, his right arm reaching for his back. Behind him, a knife twirls in a gloved hand that Paul recognizes as Gaston´s. On the door to the room, the angry animatronics twitch and smile maniacally.

In a split second, Paul knows he has to save his sister and friend. And so he calls out to the white dot for help, pulls the Beast away from Gaston and seizes the man´s descending arm that was about to strike Beast a second time.

-NO! – The siblings scream in unison for the same reasons.

Gaston´s brief shocked expression is short lived and Paul takes pleasure in it as the white dot brightens his veins and, with the increased strength he is given, crushes the bones in the arm. Gaston screams in agony, dropping the knife that falls inoffensively off the roof to the rocks below, and is lifted in the air by Paul, who throws him to the left.

-I´ll be **back**. – He says in a cold tone to Belle.

- **Vin-c-cent.** – Foxy shouts.

Paul leaps off the balcony to the left where he had thrown his target. By the time he lands, Gaston has gotten up and stands to face him. His eyes briefly fly to Paul´s hands. The hands were no longer human and had shifted to tough decayed skin with dirty yellow and green.

-It´s over Palomer. I know your secret. The monster is dead and Belle will be mine. – Gaston shouts backing away to gain distance, holding the injured arm.

A dark side of Paul´s surfaces with that statement and causes him to first giggle, then chuckle and lastly to laugh crazily to the sky as thunder ripped the sky. It makes Gaston´s eyes widen, and the animatronics in the balcony to freeze in horror. And when Paul spoke, it´s added dark and hoarsen tone sent shivers to Gaston´s spine.

-I only see two **monsters, fuckface**. One is you, who holds nothing back to his personal gain, going so far as to **kill my friend and deem my fat** her a lunatic. And the other is me.

CLANG!

He takes a step forward. The shoes are shredded, his feet go cold and bare and they become metallic feet.

SCRATCH!

The legs are gradually covered in the same decayed skin that disintegrate the pants, showing the brown bones inside, and ripping some skin left to shreds.

CLUNG! SNAP!

The clothes toughen and become more part of the growing skin. Paul takes another step and Gaston slips on a water puddle as he tries to get away from the morbid vision he sees. Jumping to his feet, he retreats to the shadows of the gargoyles.

-You cal **l Beast a monste** r. But wh **at** he **did is** nothing compared to what **I have done.**

Paul leaves his transformation mid-stage to better frighten the little man and hides behind a gargoyle, employing the same tactics as when he had tried to hunt down the night guard. To make it entertaining, he leaves an arm swinging from the cover, long enough for Gaston to see it, which the latter does. Hurried steps move further away from the gargoyle.

Thunder rips the sky for the fourth time that night, illuminating Gaston´s muscular silhouette two gargoyles ahead to the right. Paul makes sure to stomp the puddles to let Gaston know he is coming. He hides behind a gargoyle behind Gaston´s location and moans loudly, peeking just enough for Gaston to see him closing in on him.

SNAP!

As the skin forms on the arms and reaches the neck, Paul´s eyes glow green and are encased in metal locks. In fact, all the body parts encased by the skin are pierced by the same metal locks that had doomed him. This makes Paul stop and scream, clutching the eyes and stumbling out to the open.

Gaston sees a chance and goes to punch the monstrosity with his good arm. However Paul´s left arm flies forward and stops the fist from making contact, proceeding to push the fingers again the palm of Gaston´s hand and crushing them.

- _ **Wait… Is Vincy…?**_

Paul turns his head to the animatronics who had climbed down to take him down. As the skin decays and toughens around the jaw, forcing it to become round, he manages to smile with all teeth visible. The jaw separates in two from the inside, forming one of tough skin and another one a bony jaw. Soon the teeth separate and become squares, the mouth forming an eternal creepy smile.

Freddy trembles in fear and crumbles into three crying Freddy miniatures.

- **I kille** d my br **other. My mother, my father… I was happy as I cut down four kids` bellies open, and stuffed them inside suits to ROT. I CAUSED THE DOWNFALL OF THE GREATEST EMPIRE OF CHILDren PIZZERIAS!** – He snaps his head to face Gaston. Between seeing his ears retracting and watching long rabbit ears erupted forcefully from the top of the skull, Gaston keeps quiet. – **I´ve hurt more PEOPLE THan you ever have!**

 **-** You´re not Paul! You´re a demon! – Gaston kicks Paul´s right leg as he shouts. He gets an injured foot instead and Paul decides to hoist him up from the neck.

-Paul, where…

Paul violently snaps his head to the balcony to look at Belle. She sees him and drives her hands to her mouth in horror, tears gathering on her eyes.

-I´m sor **ry, BelLE. AH AM**. – Paul apologizes her.

Gaston narrows his eyes to protect his vision from the rain drops. With no comprehension of why or what he was facing, he looks at the demon holding him prisoner: A heavily damaged giant bipedal rabbit of a dirty yellow and green color, with a great portion of his right ear was missing, metal veins sticking out of the stump left behind; The entire body torn and tattered with gaping holes exposing caging and more veins throughout, thus making it appear much more macabre-looking; His legs were entirely stripped from the mid-shin down, fully exposing the bones. From his right hand, half of the middle finger is missing. Both the eyes became pale gray instead of glowing green.

- **BUT You´re RIGHT AND WRONg. I´m PAUL ROY-PALOMER AND I´m Vincent RoY-PALOMER, A COMMON MAN and a psychopath. AND YE KNOW WHAT? –** Paul exhales his breath in Gaston´s face and the latter coughs violently at the rotten smell. – **DO YOU KNOW HOW I ENDED UP!?**

The hand holding Gaston´s useless hand lets it go and moves up to the upper lip, pushing the mask from the face. His eyes glow brighter and, freezing for a moment, he rips the mask off, exposing the foul-smelling brown and red skull.

- **Take A long LOOk AT my face, GASTOn. `CAUSE WHEN you go to HEEEEELL THis is how you´ll look LIKE!**

-I can´t be killed. No one can best me! – Gaston tries to protest but the words come out as a hoarse.

If he could, Paul would smile at the words. He just settles with putting the mask back on.

- **Let´s TEST ThaT SHALL WE?** – Paul´s skull speaks as it disappears under the mask.

And so, squashing Gaston against his chest, he screeches and jumps off the roof and into the abyss. His and Gaston`s figures are engulfed by the dark fog below, with Gaston screaming and slipping Paul´s embrace, and Paul in peace at long last, knowing he had done something right in the very end.

* * *

...

...

...

" _What the hell?"_

This was Paul´s first though in a long while. He is sure he crash landed on the rocks below with Gaston not far away from him. But then how come he is alive?

Rain penetrates the suit from his back, wetting it and itching Paul´s ribs. The skin had cracked from the impact on the river´s left bank, the mask broken and revealing the top of the skull, with the left ear detached and by the water, his torso letting pointy rocks stab him on the skeleton.

His arms are broken from the locks snapping and hitting the ground, pulling the bones apart, just like the legs. And laying on his belly in muddy but rocky ground isn´t the best position to be on.

" _Why can´t anything go as planned?",_ he sighs inwardly.

He´d take longer hours to die now. Or, maybe because he was dead, he wouldn´t and would live all eternity mangled on the river bank. He tries to move his head to the sides and stops when he spots a familiar man surrounded by wolves, on a blood pool.

" _Ouch. Burn in hell, mate"_ , Paul wishes.

A wolf moved away from the pack, his snout red and bloodied and walks to the water to drink. Paul shudders painfully. By chance the wolf hears him and lays his eyes on the mangled body. The wolf crosses the river and sniffs Paul everywhere, whining in disgust.

There´s a growl in the air and the wolves, alerted, scatter away from their meal and discovery. Unfortunately, they leave Gaston´s mauled bloody body open for view for Paul and the latter closes his eyes, feeling sick. He feels hands on his chest rolling him to face the sky and dragging him to lean his back on a boulder.

- **Who arE YOU?** – Paul can´t help but question.

His answer comes in form of metal sharp fingers involving his back and hugging him. Paul´s confusion is momentarily lived when he sees yellow arms, shoulder and chest, with a purple bowtie and a mouth with sharp teeth on the belly. Paul is surprised even more when his suspicions are confirmed as Fredbear releases him from the hug.

- **FIVe animatrOniCS, FOR FIVE CHILDREN. ANd you ArE THE One I never wished TO KILL. Right PAUL?** – Paul smiles.

Fredbear´s mouth might be composed of sharp teeth and ridiculously huge and emotionless, but Paul imagines his brother is smiling.

- **Yes, Vincent. It´s me.** **–** Fredbear says in confirmation.

- **I´m sORRY FOR EVERything up until NOW. I SHOuldn´t HAVE TREATED YOu the way I diD. I took yOUr LIFE AWAY And no one can Fix that.** – Paul apologizes sincerely, the first time in his two lives he had ever done it with guilt.

Fredbear glows white and Paul closes his eyes. When he opens them again, Fredbear was gone and in his place was the Paul he knew.

- _I forgave you when I saw your actions these last few days, bro. You were different from the kid I had as an older brother and from the man I tried to call to reason the day you died. –_ Paul sits at his older brother´s side, putting one of the broken arms around his shoulders.

- **And now WHAT? DO WE Go together back to Delilah? –** Paul asks, covering his brother from the rain.

- _I will. But you have a new life here with Belle and Adam and you´re needed and loved. You´re going to stay with them._ – Paul says. – _Don´t worry about Vincent too. Francis, Charlotte, Carlos and Brad will settle their issues with him when they go back._

- **AH don´t thINK THEY CAn forgive mE.** – Paul laments. He sees a flash of light falling on the castle.

- _They have. They saw you up there defending your friends against a real monster, like you were. That changed their way of thinking._ – Paul assures.

To support his claims, the four, no, three animatronics materialize in front of them, looking every bit of macabre they had always looked. Then the suits crumble and out of them emerged the spirits of the children: Francis, with brown hair and glasses, wearing a blue shirt with a big bloodied cut and trousers, looks to the pair happy; Carlos, with dark hair and an eye-patch, wearing a leather jacket over a white bloodied shirt and blue pants, averts his eyes in shame for what he had done; And Charlotte, looking just like Paul had seen her previously in Vincent´s memories, eating a cupcake.

- _We´re… we´re sorry, Vincent._ – Carlos whispers, dragging his feet on the mud. – _For your friend and all that, I mean._

- _And so will be Brad when we tell him what you just did._ – Francis smiles sadly to Paul.

- _Can you feel it? There is a happy ending to our stories after all._ – Charlotte says.

The night is filled with multicolored flashes of light that shine over the castle. An unconscious Beast is lifted in the air and shines.

- _Adam found love at long last and the curse is now lifted. Reminds me of a true love story._ – Paul sits on his older brother´s lap.

 **-I preFER A GOOD PIRATES STOry.** – Paul smiles as Beast, human now, levitates back down to the balcony.

The rain falls weaker on the ground and eventually the clouds stop "crying", as the young older Paul had misunderstood once in his previous life.

- _It´s time I go now._ – The young Paul gets up and stands next to the children. – _I will see you later, big bro._

Paul gives the pain in his arms a good inward "Screw you" and reaches out for his brother, the latter slamming himself against Paul and hugging him one last time.

The castle is no longer dark in color, they notice, with the flashes of light reestablishing it´s natural color. Bursts of light flood the windows, happy exclamations are shouted to the heavens and, in tiny little dots, Adam and Belle share a passionate kiss.

The clouds open on themselves and out of them five rays of shinning multicolor light descended to Paul and the four children. While one involves Paul and returns him to his human form and healing his injuries, the other four involve the children and lifts them up to the sky.

- _We´ll be waiting for you!_ – The young Paul waves at his brother goodbye.

Paul moves his human arms and legs to find then unbroken, gets on his knees and waves too at them until they are no longer visible. Where the kids had stood, masks of Freddy, Chica, Foxy and Fredbear, back to their normal non-nightmarish shape, faced Paul with emptied souls.

-…down there… p him! – Belle says high on the castle´s balcony.

Paul looks at her and gives her a thumbs-up, and he hears her gasp slightly and run off. They´d get him up from the abyss, he would just have to wait. In the meantime, Paul dedicated the time digging up four holes in front of the boulder and burying the masks.

- _Reposer en paix, mon frère._ – He intones, making crosses with sticks he collected from the river banks.

After waiting about five minutes, walking in circles and discovering and questioning new information he had from the future, he sees movement above him.

-Over here! – He calls out.

An end of a long rope falls down and lands on Paul´s shoulder.

-Climb up, Monsieur. – Lumière instructs, peeking from the end of the cliff.

Paul grins as he faces a human Lumière and nods in understanding. Even though a part of him had never climbed ropes like that, the Vincent part of him takes over and helps him pull his way up the abyss. Climbing the last inches panting, he hoists himself up and looks around to the castle staff, Belle and Adam. Everyone had come to give him assistance, like a family would actually act.

Belle embrace him sudden and strongly, berating at him for his suicidal act but not exactly angry; Adam tries to keep things under control between his girlfriend and Paul; Lumière and Cogworth whisper to each other and cast delighted glances to the siblings; Miss Potts and her son Chip examine him carefully and other staff gather around them, celebrating the curse´s end.

Paul told everyone that they all needed a rest, something no one objected to, and they all headed back to the castle. Along the way Paul spotted Delilah observing him from the top of a naked oak, smiling to him and Adam. She holds an enraged Vincent, covered by the dark substance again, by a collar and chain.

- **You… When Ah get me hands on you, I´ll gouge yer eyes out!** – The man vowed, nearly leaping to chase Paul.

Delilah pulled him back to her and with some foreign words, she vanished along with her captive.

 _-_ I really need to rest. – Paul yawned.


	8. Epilogue

_**Disclaimer: I do not own FNAF or Beauty and the Beast**_

 _ **Epilogue**_

 _ **Autumn, 1806**_

 _«A story deserves an ending, a writer desires eternal lifetime». The words put in paper by Paul Roy-Palomer closely describe all men´s wishes. By writing their lives according with their judgment, they want to be remembered as he who existed to someone, be it in a good or bad way. Without recognition a man can´t live, and without acceptance no one can know them. He himself, Adam had noted, had always insisted in being reminded of that fact._

 _Paul´s experience in double-lives gave him a lot to think of, and in labor of his deep meditation surfaced a reformed identity, as a man who lived with sincerity and loyalty, a fighter of his beliefs. The children of the town and his nephew came to adore him as an "Uncle" due to his understanding of the children, which in turn had come from his… ahem, former proximity with them. He came to develop a teasing side as well, likely from the remnants of Vincent´s persona in him, one that he could control, and also a side of him that liked to brag about the advances of his home century, often trying to apply them in an attempt to improve the living conditions._

 _But he was loved nevertheless, by his sister, by Adam, by Maurice and by the castle staff. He assisted in ending the town´s tension of the first months after that stormy night. It took a while, but all turned out well in the end. In the meantime news of Paris reached the town, of the aggravating explosions of chaos on the streets and the slaughter. Paul knew how things would happen, but it had placed a great deal of pressure on the family despite his own advices. They could only escape the wrath of the people because of the kindness for the town and their fairness._

 _Paul´s dream came true too, when in 1800 he wrote a fairy tale about the love story of a beautiful woman with a passion for books and a beast that learned how to be human, having been careful to exclude his involvement in the whole story. He had wanted to publish it yet before doing so he had given his pages for the town to read, yet there were… complications._

 _They remain with Belle, who intends to deliver them to an editor in Paris after the tumults are cooled down._

* * *

 _And so we see a mother and son under a sunny autumn day, watched by Adam from the bedroom he shares with his wife. Belle had finished telling the story about the uncle he only vaguely recalled in his dreams and the boy had listened intently to the tale._

 _-Is that why uncle was so special? – The boy, in fine noble clothing of his size, asked with a bouquet of daisies in his tiny hands._

 _-Yes. – Belle said while on her knees. – And that was why Paul was special._

 _-Then why isn´t he with us to tell the story? – The toddler inquires._

 _-Because your uncle got sick, very sick. – Belle lets a tear roll at the memory. – He understood that there was no magic that could cure him and he accepted it._

 _-But I don´t! – The child pouts. – I want more family! I like you and daddy, but I want more!_

 _Belle sighs, profoundly tired._

 _-Listen, Paul might not live among us, but he never forgot us._

 _The boy pays attention to that._

 _-How can a dead man not forget us? – He asks scratching his head._

 _-By loving. He loved us more than life itself and he departed without sadness because of that. – Belle explained as if it was logical. – I knew him just like that. And he knew you, albeit you were still a toddler. He promised he can never forget your giggles._

 _The boy beams at that. He rests the bouquet on top of the grave, sends a small prayer of peace in French, and then he addresses the sky:_

 _-Uncle? I hope you can hear me, because I want to talk to you. Mommy says you can´t forget us and I don´t want you to slip on your promise, alright? Or Mommy and Daddy will be sad and I will be sad._

 _Belle lets out a soft chuckle, suppressed with her hands, and picks her son up by the armpits._

 _-Now what do you say we find Chip and play with him? – She suggests, placing him on her shoulders. – While you don´t have a big blood family, you can create one like your uncle did with them._

 _-Yes, please. – The boy nods._

 _Mother and son walk away from the grave discussing about the ways of love. They failed to notice a specter forming in front of the grave and kneel to it, as they had long entered the castle._

" _In Loving Memory of Paul Roy-Palomer, Beloved Brother, Son and Friend."_

 _It smiles at the words and he focuses on the bouquet. Fresh out of the ground, he deduces from the smell. He takes one in his white hands and inhales the soft aroma. It inspires him to play a little prank on his sister. He uses his right index finger to write on the earth a message, to make sure his nephew would rest assured he wouldn´t forget him._

 _-Big bro, are you coming or not?_

 _He turns his head around to see Paul peeking from behind a black door materialized out of thin air. The music and the happy laughs flow to his ears and he smells fresh out of the furnace rustic pizzas._

 _-We´re waiting for you. Hurry! – The boy incites Paul more._

 _-Wait a sec. – Paul grins rising to his knees. – I had to let Jean-Pierre know I was here._

 _Paul produces a grin identical to his older brother and waves at him to come inside, opening the door wider. Paul sees the Show Stage with Fredbear and Buzz singing a rock music and the kids, Francis, Charlotte, Carlos and Brad, sitting on the plastic chairs and clapping along. Party decorations hung on the ceiling and the animatronic heads rested on the laps of the kids. He takes secures steps past his brother and the latter closes the door when he walks inside. The door vibrates and dematerializes, returning the normality to the world._

 _And by the end of the evening, when Thomas decides to see if Uncle had listened to his demand, he is accompanied by Belle back to the grave on the backyard garden, under the bent tree. The closer they approach it, the more intrigued they get at the drawings in the grave. Thomas takes the lead and hops the rest of the way, stopping an inch in front of it and jumping in delight._

 _-Mommy, mommy! – He chirps. – Uncle listened to me!_

 _-He did? – Half-confused, half-shocked, Belle gasps and looks at the message._

 _It was Paul´s flourish and his type of greeting._

" _ **I´m still here, Jean-Pierre. Always will be.**_ _"_


End file.
